Whiplash
by just slummin
Summary: When Serenity lands in a small Rim world settlement, the crew runs into an unsettling situation. NOW COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**Whiplash**

**Part I—The Ordeal**

Author: justslummin

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Just playin' in Joss' sandbox.

Rating: R, for violence

Summary: When Serenity lands in a small Rim world settlement, they run into an unsettling situation.

XXXXXXXXXX

She drew in a shallow, labored breath. Part of her mind, strangely detached from the rest of her tortured body, thought it odd that she should be drenched with sweat in such a cold wind. She shivered, the slight movement jarring her ravaged back and causing a starburst of bright white light to dance behind her eyelids sickeningly.

Dimly aware of the whistle of the lash behind her, she tried not to yank at the ropes that bound her wrists to the post. She had learned that such pathetic movements caused a low murmur from the crowd and a chuckle from the man standing a few feet away from the post. The murmur had twisted her heart with humiliation and the chuckle had robbed her of her last hope for mercy.

The thin sliver of leather connected with her bare back in a devastatingly solid line of fire. She bit her lip, the blood welling to the surface matching the slick blood that bathed her arms and back. Before she could regain her breath, another blow fell, relentless and brutally efficient.

"Slow down," the man standing close by said, thin irritation in his tone.

"It'll not be a kindness to slow down, sir," the man wielding the whip said quietly. "I can carry the sentence out without stretchin' it out none. If I linger, forty lashes is enough to kill a grown man, much less a little slip of a woman such as your missus."

The man hissed at the title. "She's hardly mine now. And as I recall, I was awarded the judgment of how the punishment would proceed. Slow down."

She was vaguely aware of the man behind her sighing with the order. Somehow the thought that he had tried to extend what little mercy he could made everything that much harder to bear. She wondered, with what was left of rational thought, how many strokes she had already received. The first five had fallen fast and hard, splitting the skin pulled taut across her back by the restraints like the sharpest of scalpels. The next blows had been exquisitely placed, seeking out the screaming nerves exposed by the first five.

She'd lost consciousness somewhere along the way and had been abruptly revived with some noxious scent being held to her nose. It was then that she had realized that there would be no relief in unconsciousness, no blessed oblivion to meet her when she fled from the blows that rained steadily now across her body.

She thought for a moment that she needed to know how many more lashes would fall so cruelly before her ordeal was over, but she was not certain she would be able to endure it if she did know. Her hands clinched into weak fists as another blow fell, the force of it pushing her body forward into the wood of the post. The small prick of sharp splinters against her bare breasts was drowned in the agony of the battered strips of flesh covering her back.

She clenched her teeth, squeezing her eyes shut against the sweat that trickled down from her hairline. But as the blows continued in unending torment, she was forced to open her mouth, gasping for what breath she could catch in the blinding punishment of the lash. Heedless now of the crowd watching, and even of the man to whom she had been married for three dismal years standing by so arrogantly, she stopped fighting to hold in the low groans that had been hovering right behind her cracked lips. Time, fluid in the best of circumstances, stretched treacherously out before her, promising nothing but additional pain.

Her mind cast about wildly, seeking something, anything to relieve some of the horror she was enduring. She thought of her ill-fated lover, so kind and gentle of heart and hand, the one who had won her, pulling her inexorably to this moment. He could not have known, could not have envisioned the sheer cruelty of it, the pitiless justice that would be meted out to them both. She squeezed her eyes shut again, knowing that remembering his earlier fate at the hands of the settlement's judge would bring nothing to her but the worst pain of all. She felt salty tears slip down her cheeks, the only thing she could offer to mourn her lover now.

Her knees buckled beneath her, and still the blows fell, the distance between twenty and forty like a chasm impossible to span. Blood pounded in her ears and she felt the darkness coming. Welcoming it like the gifts of the gods, she hung by her wrists, suddenly boneless in the wake of the continuing onslaught.

XXXXXXXXXX

Jesse Starks silently cursed the man giving the cruel orders. He wielded the whip, counting the strokes as they fell across the poor woman's back, wishing he could avoid the last ten, but well aware that every eye in the crowd was keeping a breathless count. Most times, he was glad enough to do his job, figuring that whatever piece of human detritus got tied to his post deserved what was coming. But he'd made the mistake of going to the judicial proceeding for this little woman. It had been the talk of the settlement for some time, and out of more than a little curiosity, he had gone to hear the salacious details in court.

But now, he remembered all too well why he generally avoided such knowledge like the plague. The woman had stood with her lover, condemned for all the world to see. But Starks could not shake the thought that he'd had as he watched them face their sentences, the thought that they were more dignified than they'd a right to be, given that they were sinners of the worst kind. They seemed, he hated to think, almost decent-like, almost respectable in some strange way.

And when the man had died under the harsh sentence of the judge, Starks had been left with a bitter taste in his own mouth, and the uneasy feeling that he had not seen true justice done.

And now to be the one carrying out the sentence against the helpless woman was a difficult pill to swallow. He winced as he saw her knees buckle, swinging the whip until his own shoulders ached with the monotony of it.

XXXXXXXXXX

"What do you mean, he ain't here?" Mal asked, already more than a little irritated at the turn of events.

"I mean he ain't here," the old man replied steadily. "Ain't nobody here but me, and I got no authorization to pay you."

A small vein pulsed in Mal's temple. "When will he be back?"

The old man shrugged. "'Spect it'll be awhile. He's down to the town square, watchin' the goin's-on. That's where everybody is."

"There a carnival or somethin'?" Mal asked, pinching the bridge of his nose distractedly.

"Somethin' like that," the old man replied noncommittally.

"Then why ain't you there?" Jayne asked, fighting the urge to use his gun.

"Seen all the go se like that I need to see," the old man replied, running his fingertips lightly along his moustache.

Mal sighed, counting to ten and holding back his anger. Glancing at Zoe, he said, "If we gotta go to town to find Mason anyway, we could maybehaps go back to Serenity and get Simon. Might as well kill two birds with one stone."

Zoe nodded. "Unless the doctor of the settlement is at the carnival as well."

"Doc won't be there," the old man said, certain of the fact. "He don't much cotton to that kinda' thing."

A vague trickle of unease skittered along Mal's spine. Thinking that he was not likely to enjoy whatever was happening in the town square, he briefly considered having Simon just write a list of instructions for the doctor of the settlement. But he knew that Simon would balk at such an idea, believing it best to give the man instructions as to the use of the newer drugs himself. Professional courtesy or some such, as it had been explained to Mal repeatedly by his medic and brother-in-law. Turning back to the old man, Mal sighed. "How will I recognize Mason?"

The old man grinned, revealing teeth stained yellow with time. "He'll be in the front, you can bet, cheering on old Starks as he goes about it. Never does get enough of it to suit him."

"Anything else?" Mal asked as patiently as his annoyance would allow.

The old man frowned. "Think he was wearing a tan shirt this mornin'. And those durn pointy boots as he favors. Useless if you ask me, with your toes all jammed into 'em so's you can't hardly wiggle 'em."

Having officially heard enough trivia for one day, Mal nodded. "Thanks for the tip. I'll be sure to look to those boots."

The old man grinned, shaking his head at the impulsiveness of young men.

XXXXXXXXXX

Simon hefted the large box onto his hip, pointing Jayne towards its companion.

"You sure this small settlement needs all this?" Mal asked.

"The doctor was quite specific," Simon replied, a little annoyed to be questioned about the issue again. "They haven't received any of their Alliance shipments in several months. And there are things here that he's never had to begin with. Drugs that should help with some of the problems peculiar to this planet."

"And we can spare all this?" Mal asked, fingering Simon's box.

Simon nodded. "We can, at least until we can get back closer to the Core. And they are, for the most part, inexpensive to replace. Common enough on any Core world, but sadly lacking on the Rim."

"Sounds a mite too familiar," Mal muttered. Straightening his shoulders, he said, "Well, best we be gettin' to it, then. I gotta have time to find that hundan Mason, before he decides he might not be in a payin' frame of mind."

XXXXXXXXXX

Simon followed Mal through the dust of the settlement, thinking that the chill in the air was reminiscent of late fall on Osiris. They walked along quietly, the silence broken only by the occasional grumbling of Jayne as he readjusted the weight of the box on his shoulder.

As they approached the village, Mal slowed and finally stood still.

"What is it?" Simon asked, peering over his shoulder to look.

"Ain't a carnival," Mal replied grimly, making out the situation in bits and pieces as people moved around. "Looks like an execution, more like."

Jayne squinted into the crowd. "It's a woman," he said, surprise in his tone.

Mal nodded, his jaw set in a thin line.

"I don't understand," Simon began. But his words trailed off as the crowd shifted enough for him to get a good look at the scene before him. "Oh my god," he breathed out.

"God ain't got nothin' to do with this," Mal replied, walking forward purposefully again. Seeing Simon still standing in the same position, he added, "And neither do we. Keep walkin', doc."

Simon blinked rapidly several times. "You're just going to leave her hanging there? Just let that happen?"

Mal scowled at him. "Ain't any of our concern, Simon. And we don't know the circumstances."

Simon put his box carefully on the ground and crossed his arms over his chest. "We know one thing. If that man keeps that up, she will die."

Mal swallowed thickly. "We don't know any such thing. She might wish she was dead, but…" The sound of the lash abruptly stopped and the crowd began to talk all at once. "See there," Mal said, glancing over at the proceedings. "It's over. And I conjure someone will come forward in a minute to cut her down and see to her. Problem solved."

"She needs medical attention," Simon persisted.

"And by your own word, they got a doctor," Mal said, the last of his patience wearing threadbare. "This is trouble we don't need, Simon. We got folk on the boat to be worried on. Don't need anybody else to take care of. Now pick up your little box, and move along. Dong ma?"

Simon nodded, bending to pick up his box. Unbidden, his eyes darted back to the woman hanging unconscious on the pole. "No one's coming to her aid," he said stubbornly.

"Might take 'em a few minutes," Mal said, studiously not looking toward the awful scene. "Could be they want the crowd to leave 'fore they claim her. Speakin' of which, I got to find this Mason guy before everybody gets gone. You know your way to the doctor's place?"

Simon looked down the street. "The sign that says 'Doctor" is a fairly good give away," he said dryly.

Mal nodded, choosing to ignore Simon's tone for now. "You and Jayne go on to the doctor's then, and I'll see to finding Mason."

And turning on his heel, he set out to find his reluctant employer.

XXXXXXXXXX

To be continued


	2. Chapter 2

**Whiplash**

**Part II—Conflicted**

Author: justslummin

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Just playin' in Joss' sandbox.

Rating: PG

Summary: Simon delivers the medicine, and Mal meets with Mason.

XXXXXXXXXX

The older doctor rummaged through the supply boxes with the eagerness of a child at Christmas. "This is just what we needed," he said happily. "You can't know how desperate the situation was becoming until I heard your ship was going to be able to spare some of this."

Simon smiled. "I'm just glad we could be of assistance. I'd imagine that you don't get a lot of ships docking here."

"No, we don't," the doctor confirmed. "Usually it's only the Alliance supply ship that comes at all. And they haven't made a drop in over six months now."

"Why is that, do you suppose?" Simon asked, helping the older man stock the small examination room that served as the only one on the planet.

"I can't say," the doctor replied. "I haven't been able to contact anyone official about it. It seems that no one is ever available to take my wave. I would say we have dropped off the grid, so to speak."

Simon frowned. "These supplies won't last very long. What will you do after they're depleted?"

The older doctor smiled sadly. "The best we can, I expect."

Simon glanced at Jayne, who stood looking out the window of the small office at the people still milling about on the town square. The line of the mercenary's shoulders was tight as he watched the goings-on. Simon sighed, gesturing toward the square. "Things like that happen often here?"

The doctor shook his head. "More often than I'd like to see, but not really all that regularly. It's a close-knit little settlement, and crimes are punished swiftly and rather severely."

"What did she do?" Jayne asked gruffly, still staring at the woman hanging from the post.

The doctor sighed. "She fell in love with the wrong man. Or, if you want my honest opinion, she fell in love with the right man at the wrong time."

"What do you mean?" Simon asked.

"She is married to the chairman of the town council," the doctor said. "A mean little snake of a man, if you ask me. But still, a contract is a contract, and she is bound to him by law. A few months back, the Silas man from the outlands came into town. Needed a job, he said. Didn't want to stay out there all alone anymore. Shultzer gave him a job on their spread just out of town. Silas was a good man, and a charming one too. And Mr. Shultzer hasn't exactly been kind to his young wife. Guess she just couldn't help but be drawn to the first man who came along and showed her a little care."

Simon turned to the older doctor incredulously. "You mean to say she's being beaten publicly for…adultery?"

"Don't look so shocked, Doctor," the older man replied. "This settlement was founded by a group of very religious type folks. They believe in the old ways. Adultery rates right up there with murder and the like." He paused for a moment, looking down at his hands. "And as a general rule, I agree with that philosophy myself. If I didn't know what a hard time of it Mrs. Shultzer has had with her husband, I don't know that it would bother me on principle." At Simon's shocked expression, he added hastily, "Of course, I would never condone such a severe punishment."

"Why ain't anybody comin' to cut her down?" Jayne asked, the disgust in his voice obvious.

The older doctor sighed. "As I understand it, the sentence was that she would hang until the morning."

Simon winced at the cruelty. "She's badly beaten. Do you really think she will last until morning, Doctor? I can only assume the temperature will drop quite a bit more once the sun sets completely."

"I expect it will drop below freezing," the doctor confirmed. "Has every night this week, so far. But the sentence stands. If she's alive come morning, her husband will be bound by the court to take her back and see to her."

Jayne snorted angrily. "So, she can either die out there tonight, or go home with the hundan who did this to her?"

The doctor cleared his throat nervously, intimidated by Jayne's size and demeanor. "That is the law of the land, sir," he said. "And of course, as the doctor in these parts, I will offer Mr. Shultzer my services in the morning."

"Of course," Simon said, the edge of sarcasm in his tone barely concealed. "How fortunate for Mrs. Shultzer."

The doctor bristled at the tone. "Young man, you have no idea what these settlers are capable of. This is no Core world that you've come to. These people live by a strict code, and some of them die by that code. That's not apt to change for anyone."

"I suppose not," Simon said, the line of his jaw hardening. "Especially if no one comes forward to speak against such barbarism."

"Most people here have their hands full without bucking a system that's worked fairly well for the last six decades," the doctor replied defensively. "It isn't always pretty, but it is effective. And this settlement has withstood everything designed to take it out for all those sixty years. I've been here all my adult life, and I can say that while it's not the way I would handle things if I were in charge, it keeps our society stable enough to survive out here on the Rim." He stood slowly, straightening his arthritic knees. "I'm sorry it offends your sensibilities, young man," he said not unkindly. "And I'm more than grateful to you for the supplies."

Recognizing it for the dismissal it was, Simon nodded and shook the older man's hand. "I hope it will be of some help to you," he said as graciously as he could.

"I'm certain of it," the older doctor said, opening the door to usher them out into the street.

XXXXXXXXXX

Mal pocketed the bag of coin from Mason with a genuine sense of relief. Mason smiled thinly. "What? You thought I was gonna stiff you?"

Mal returned the man's smile just as thinly. "Just found it a mite disconcerting to show up at the drop point and find you were galavantin' about town."

Mason scowled. "I didn't know when I set up the meet what was gonna be happenin' in town today. And I gotta say, I wouldn'ta' missed it for the 'verse."

Mal grimaced, his mouth suddenly filled with a bitter taste for this man and the whole gorram planet. "Like a little bloodlettin' in the day, do you?"

"Like to see justice done, is all," Mason said, shrugging. "And I gotta admit I won't be losing sleep about that whore gettin' what was comin' to her." He spat an oily stream of spittle to the ground beside Mal's boot.

"Yeah, well…right," Mal said, looking pointedly at his slightly damp boot toe. "Anyways, as you can see, we delivered the goods on time and within budget. Care to consider a bonus for my trouble in findin' you for payment?"

Mason grinned, wiping the spittle from his chin. "Don't think so, but thanks all the same for askin'."

Mal nodded shortly. "Then I guess it's fair to say that we're done here."

"Guess so," Mason said, the glint in his eyes several degrees south of warm.

Mal sighed, thinking what a pleasure it would be to just throttle the man one good time. However, there were other matters to which he needed to attend. He turned to head back to Serenity, studiously avoiding going back through the town square.

XXXXXXXXXX

Jayne and Simon walked slowly back toward Serenity. Simon shivered slightly, thinking about how much the temperature had already dropped. Jayne walked on, seemingly impervious to the cold. Both men walked silently, each lost in his own thoughts. When they arrived back at the ship, Jayne said, "Guess I'll be seeing you at supper, doc."

"Yes," Simon answered distractedly. "Thank you for helping me deliver the medicine."

"Don't seem right, though," Jayne muttered as he walked away.

"No, it doesn't," Simon whispered to Jayne's back. "It most assuredly doesn't."

XXXXXXXXXX

She awoke with a start, jarring her arms and back with the sudden jerk. She lifted her head slowly, the effort more than enough to steal her breath away. Blessedly, the square seemed empty. She closed her eyes and let her head drop back down. Concentrating on getting her feet underneath her to relieve some of the pressure on her arms, she found that she was too weak to hold them steady. She shivered, thinking that except for the fire across her back, she was terribly cold. Just as well, she thought randomly. Perhaps with a little luck, she would freeze to death before her husband came to claim her again. The thought left her heart as cold as the wind that howled around the wooden post to which she was bound. Willing herself back to unconsciousness, she slept once more.

XXXXXXXXXX

Mal sat at his desk, trying to concentrate on his ledgers, and failing miserably. The thought of the woman hanging in the square of that God-forsaken little settlement made him almost physically sick. He closed his eyes, trying to convince himself that he had done the right thing by staying out of the situation. No good could come to his family and crew if he became entangled in some kind of domestic issue on a Rim world, he repeated to himself like a mantra.

River laid a soothing hand on his shoulder. "Course is set," she said softly. "We should be back on Persephone in a couple of weeks, if that's where you want to go."

"Not sure it's where I want to go," Mal replied, sighing. "But it's where I expect we need to go, now that Badger's waved to say he's got the rest of the Widow's go se auctioned off and got our split ready for the taking."

River nodded, frowning slightly at her husband. "What's the matter , ai ren?"

Mal smiled sadly. "You gonna try to tell me you ain't been peekin' into my head already?"

River managed to look affronted. "I have attempted not to do so. But you're thinking rather loudly at the moment."

"Sorry," Mal said dryly.

When he didn't volunteer anything else, River added, "And Simon and Jayne were very quiet at supper."

"We saw something in that settlement today that I suppose Simon ain't been exposed to all that much," Mal replied. "There was a…..public whipping in the town square."

River sat down beside him, drawing her knees up to her chest. "And?" she asked softly.

Mal swallowed thickly. "And it was a woman, a little one at that." A slight shudder ran through him at the thought that she had been no larger than his own bao bei. "Looked to be beaten about to death, too. A bad thing for your brother to have to see."

"And hard for you as well," River whispered.

Thinking that her sympathy might completely undo him, he said gruffly, "Ain't the first time I've seen such as that. But every time I see it, I hope it's the last." He paused for a moment. "And I gotta tell you, River, if it weren't for you and the children, and the other folk on this boat lookin' to me, I'da' done somethin' stupid, most like. Gone in there and cleared out the hundans just standin' there watchin' it like it was some kinda' gorram entertainment, and cut her the hell down."

River sat for a moment, trying to think of something to say to alleviate his guilt. Mal rubbed his eyes tiredly and looked back at the books. "But I couldn't do that, not without endangering my own."

He glanced up at the Cortex screen, where a small box was flashing, indicating an entry into his personal log. Frowning, he pulled it up and began to swear. "And now it looks like your brother needed a little help to handle what he saw," he said, turning the screen toward River. "Unless I missed somebody on the crew gettin' injured at supper, I'd say he's indulging in a little self-medicating."

River stood, but Mal motioned for her to sit back down. "I'll handle it, darlin'," he said. "Shoulda' known it would be too much for him right now. It's my fault for not seein' to him right after supper."

"Don't be angry with him," River whispered.

"Just need to handle this whilst it's still in the early stages this time," Mal answered, climbing the ladder. "I ain't angry."

"You will be," River replied so softly he did not hear as he closed the hatch and headed to the infirmary.

XXXXXXXXXXX

To be continued


	3. Chapter 3

**Whiplash**

**Part III—The Infirmary**

Author: justslummin

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Just playin' in Joss' sandbox.

Rating: PG

Summary: Mal gets to the infirmary to talk with Simon, and gets an unexpected shock.

XXXXXXXXXX

Mal walked steadily toward the infirmary, his jaw tight with the thought of what he would say to Simon when he arrived. He knew, reasonably speaking, that Simon had been upset about the situation with the woman in the settlement earlier, but he had not expected the doctor to resort so quickly to alleviating his stress with meds. It was a disheartening thought that Simon's situation could potentially still be so precarious. Even more disheartening was the realization that he was not even remotely prepared to handle Simon's problem with anything approaching the calm needed at the moment.

He paused for a few minutes in the corridor, listening to the reassuring hum of Serenity's engine as the ship sailed toward Persephone. Maybehaps, if need be, he could get Simon to another treatment facility there when the ship set down on the Eavesdowne docks. Thinking that was the only plan that made even a little sense, Mal took a deep breath and stepped into the infirmary.

He was ill-prepared for the scene before him. Simon was bent over the examination table, intent on something under a thin sheet. Two emotions warred simultaneously in Mal's mind. First, there was immense relief that the pain meds had evidently not been for Simon's own use and second, there was genuine dread regarding whatever lay under that gorram sheet.

"Doc?" he said, keeping his voice as steady as he could manage.

Simon jumped and spun around quickly to face the Captain. "Captain," he said, his own voice tight with the thought of what was most likely about to happen.

"You mind tellin' me what in the sphincter of hell you're doing?" Mal asked, losing the battle to control his anger.

Simon crossed his arms defensively over his chest. "I'm treating a patient," he said, putting dignified conviction into his tone.

Mal advanced into the room keeping his clenched fists at his side and reminding himself that this was his wife's only brother. "I can see that," he said through clenched teeth. "Mind telling me how it is you acquired a patient that I don't know about?"

Simon steeled himself for the blow he was certain would come. "She was going to die, Mal," he said. "And I couldn't just let that happen. So, after supper, while you were occupied with….whatever you were occupied with, I went back to the settlement and cut her down. I know it was foolish, and irresponsible, to bring her here, but I had nowhere else to take her for decent treatment. The doctor in town made it quite clear he would not approve of my actions."

"Seems as if I made that quite clear my own self," Mal replied in a low, deadly voice.

Simon reached for the sheet that covered the small woman and pulled it off with a smooth motion. "Look at her, Mal," he said. "Can you honestly say that I should have left her hanging on a post in freezing temperatures to die?"

Inwardly cursing in wildly inventive Mandarin, Mal walked to the exam table and looked down at the woman. She lay on her stomach, muscles still quivering with remembered sensory pain though she was unconscious. He winced at the depth of the lacerations crisscrossing her back, thinking that she could not have possibly committed a crime that merited that kind of abuse. His heart twisted painfully in his chest. "Anybody from the settlement see you cut her down?" he asked finally.

Simon swallowed thickly. "I don't think so," he said. "It was fairly dark when we went."

Mal looked up at him sharply. "We?"

Simon grimaced, having not intended to implicate anyone else. "I didn't know if I could carry her without injuring her further. I needed some help."

"And?"

"And Jayne agreed to help me," Simon said in a rush of expelled breath.

"I see," Mal said, thumbing the comm unit on the wall. "Jayne, get down to the infirmary ma shong." Turning back to Simon, he said, "Seems like we're back to square one, doctor. First time I saw you seems that you were sneaking a fugitive onto my boat and endangering me and mine."

"This is hardly the same kind of situation, Captain," Simon protested. "I doubt seriously that this woman is wanted by the Alliance. She just had the misfortune of being on the losing end of a domestic dispute on a Rim world. I can't really see how having her here will seriously endanger the crew."

"I conjure that remains to be seen," Mal said, pinching the bridge of his nose tiredly. "But I got no notion that we'll be able to walk away from this without some kind of go se or another hitting the fan."

Jayne walked into the infirmary, looking distinctly guilty. "Mal," he began. "We couldn't just leave her…"

Mal held up his hands to stop Jayne's next words. "Yes, we could have," he replied. "In fact, I was under the impression we already had. Hired you to help protect this crew, best as I recollect. And now I find out you and the doc have decided to take a turn at being some kinda' half-assed heroes. Which I got no objection to, except that it's like to get us all killed."

"Nobody saw us, Mal," Jayne assured him. "I was lookin'. Weren't nobody out and about in that cold. And it was dark enough to cover us."

"I hope to all that's holy you're right," Mal said. "Don't need to borrow trouble, seein' as how we got enough of our own." And though he wanted to be angry, he was rapidly losing the heart for it as he looked back down at the poor woman. "Might be she'd rather be dead than to have to recover from this," he observed.

"The doctor in the settlement told us that had she lived through the night, her husband would have had to take her back home. I can only imagine what horrors would have awaited her there," Simon said softly, relaxing a bit as he saw that Mal was not going to use his face as a punching bag.

Mal swallowed the bile that rose in his throat. "She been unconscious the whole time?"

"So far," Simon replied. "And blessedly so. When we got to her, her core temperature was quite low. In a strange way, I suppose that was a good thing, as it slowed the bleeding down considerably. I had thought that perhaps when she was warmed again, she might wake up, but so far she hasn't. She has moaned a little, reacted slightly when I was stitching up some of the worse of her lacerations, but she has not regained full consciousness."

"Think she will?" Jayne asked, looking at the neat rows of stitches that crossed the woman's back now.

"I don't know," Simon answered honestly. "But I would rather she remain like this for at least a little longer. When she becomes fully conscious, she will be in a great deal of pain."

"Give her what you have to to keep her out of it, then," Mal said. "We need some time to figure what to do with her once she's well enough."

Simon nodded, preparing another injection for the IV that dripped into her exposed arm. "What will we tell the others?" he asked.

Mal's eyes glittered dangerously for a moment. 'We'll tell them that you and Jayne are big damn heroes," he said dryly.

XXXXXXXXXX

She floated on a sea of soft cotton, strangely aware that she must be dreaming such a thing. Her body felt heavy as lead, and yet, the soft cotton cloud lulled her senses into forgetfulness. She lay quietly floating on the cloud, so like an ocean with its hypnotically rising and falling waves. She was warm and dry, comfortable and unwilling to move. She hummed softly to herself, thinking of her lover, wondering if he floated somewhere nearby. There was something, something in the vague recesses of her mind, something that she needed to know. But the cloud was soft and it leeched away any urgency she felt. She slept intermittently, floating and sleeping in equal measure for an eternity of time.

She awoke, the sudden sensation of falling from the soft cloud causing her to jerk in panic. She remembered, with all the harshness of indelible impression, that her lover was dead at the hands of….someone, though she could not process exactly who that someone could be at the moment. She saw his body, broken and dangling from the rope in the public square, jerking with the last of his death throes. And she became aware that her own body was on fire, the sharp pain of the flames licking at her spine. She struggled to move, but the cloud enveloped her again, this time with the cold dampness of a death vise instead of the warm dry softness of before. She cried out, but the sound was drowned out in the wave of agony that engulfed her. Blackness descended with the finality grim death. She slept.

She became aware of a low soft sound, rhythmic and lulling. Her mind struggled to make sense of it and after a small eternity, she knew it to be the sound of her own lungs inflating and deflating with each breath. And in the strange way peculiar to those who dream, she was comforted by the sound.

She screamed, lashed to a post in town, bared to the torso for all the world to see. She writhed against the post, cursing the heavens for….what she did not know. Her mind cast wildly about, trying to find something real to hold on to, something of substance to stop the infinite dreams that kept her off-kilter. But there was nothing substantial, nothing solid to cling to, nothing to ground her. She fought the darkness that claimed her yet again.

XXXXXXXXXX

"She looks peaceful," Kaylee whispered sympathetically. "Like she ain't got a care in the 'verse. You done good, Simon."

Simon sighed, hugging his wife to his side. "Thought Mal was going to throw me out the airlock," he said. "And he would have been right to do so. We have no idea how this whole thing will turn out."

Kaylee wrapped her arms around Simon's midsection and squeezed. "Well, we know you did the right thing. Ain't even any question. You couldn't just leave her there."

Simon nuzzled his nose into the hair at the top of Kaylee's head. "Wish I could be so certain it was the right thing to do for us," he said softly. "It was obviously the right thing to do for her, whoever she is, but as for us…"

"We'll just deal with whatever happens," Kaylee said firmly. "If'n it was me up there on that post, I'd like to know there was a Simon out there to rescue me." As she spoke, the woman flinched, moaning lightly in her sleep.

Simon pulled away from Kaylee to prepare more medication. "I'll always come for you, ai ren," he said. "Only I have hopes that you will never really need my rescuing capabilities."

XXXXXXXXXX

Jim stroked Zoe's smooth back with his fingertips as she lay on his chest. Thinking about the woman in the infirmary, he shuddered.

Zoe raised her head, lifting an eyebrow. ""You cold?"

"Hardly," Jim said, smiling. "Can't imagine a man in the 'verse that would be cold with you lying beside him." He paused for a moment. "Just thinking about our guest," he said. "And wondering what will come of it."

Zoe sighed. "Can't say I disagree with Mal for choosing to leave her hanging. But," she continued, "I think Jayne and Simon did the right thing too."

Jim thought for a long moment. "Don't know what I think about it," he said finally. "I mean, it's a shame what was done to that poor woman, but I don't know that I would have risked bringing trouble on you and Anya to protect a stranger."

Zoe nodded, tracing circles idly across Jim's chest. "Guess it doesn't really matter at this point," she said. "We're in the Black, headed to Persephone. Should be a place where she can disappear if she needs to, once she's able."

"What if she had family back in that settlement?" Jim asked. "I mean, we don't know for sure until she wakes up."

"If she had family, they weren't doin' a gorram thing to help her. The way Jayne tells it, she was just hanging there alone in the cold, before he and Simon cut her down. Nobody looking after her or over her."

"Here's to hoping nobody will come looking for her now then," Jim said.

Zoe nodded, beginning to drift off to sleep in his arms again.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Thank you for not throwing Simon out the airlock," River said solemnly when Mal climbed back down into their bunk.

Mal nodded, pulling his clothes off tiredly. "You coulda' told me what he was doing," he said. "Before we lifted off."

River shook her head, looking at him with her wide brown eyes. "You would have had to decide again whether to leave her or help her. Couldn't let you go through it again. Too much guilt either way."

Mal slipped into bed beside his wife. "Best you let me decide such as that from now on, guilt or no," he said, an edge in his tone.

"All right," River said, knowing when not to cross her husband. "I will, in the future."

"Good," Mal said, turning his back to her to go to sleep. "Good night, bao bei."

"Good night, ai ren," she replied softly, feeling the small relief that the woman was being tended to in his infirmary wash through her husband as he drifted off to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXX

To be continued


	4. Chapter 4

**Whiplash**

**Part IV—Hundan**

Author: justslummin

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Just playin' in Joss' sandbox.

Rating: PG 13, for violent images

Summary: Mr. Shultzer discovers his wife is missing, and Mrs. Shultzer wakes up on Serenity.

Author's Note: Sorry for the small posting delay. Technical difficulties prevented it yesterday.

XXXXXXXXXX

Alan Shultzer awoke with a pounding headache and a smile on his face. Last night's celebration after the public humiliation of the whore he'd called a wife had been quite satisfactory despite the town's unfortunate habit of frowning on revelry of any sort. Shultzer had found that it was not always easy to live with settlers so very devoted to their religious beliefs, but as in all the worlds spinning, there were revelers aplenty if one knew where to look.

He stretched lazily, feeling that the sheets beside him had grown cold. He grinned, thinking that last night they had been quite warm with the enthusiastic activity of his bedmate. Unlike his whore of a wife, last night's whore had been built for sin. Curvy in all the right places, and with an appetite to match her looks, she had been the very antithesis of the late Mrs. Shultzer, he thought happily.

Of course, he couldn't be sure she was dead. Eve Shultzer had a way of inconveniencing him in every conceivable manner, and it would be just like her to live through the bitterly cold night that had just passed. His grin faltered at the thought.

He got out of bed, looking around to make sure that the woman from last night had had the good grace to leave early. Satisfied that she had, he took his time in a hot shower, his mind replaying the scene from the public square in delicious detail. Jesse Sparks knew his job, and Shultzer was very pleased with the result. If the pofu had managed to live the night, she would not dare to cross him again. He stood under the stream of hot water, imagining what he might do with her if she was alive. Perhaps he'd lay her down on that ravaged back of hers and have his way with her on the sheets that were now scented with the cheap perfume of the whore from last night. He closed his eyes, picturing her feeble protests and tears in exquisite detail. Maybe it would be preferable if she wasn't dead just yet.

He turned off the water and toweled off quickly, eager now to see what had happened to Eve during the night. Either way, he knew that there was pleasure to be had. If she had died, he was well rid of her, with her sad eyes, her soft ways, and her cool heart. And if she had not died, well then he would be free to do with her as he saw fit.

Whistling as he dressed, he was ready within minutes to retrieve his wife from the town square. He decided it best to take the hovercraft, as he had no great desire to have to carry her back to the house in his arms or across his back. Thinking about the mess Sparks had made of her back and arms, Shultzer took the extra time to lay thick towels across the seats of the hovercraft, seeing no need to ruin its interior with her blood.

As he approached the town square, he half expected to see the old doctor there checking on Eve. The man had always seemed a bit too solicitous of her, in his opinion. And the doctor's absence at the whipping post had been notable. Thinking that the man would be ill advised to overstep his bounds, Shultzer came to a sudden stop a few feet away from the post.

His pulse beat wildly in his temples. The post was bare. Some hundan had taken her down, depriving him of the pleasure of one last look at her limp form hanging in the aftermath of his vengeance. A low hiss escaped his lips as he contemplated what could have happened. Getting to the doctor's small offices in a few short strides, he burst into the door.

The doctor stood up behind his desk. "Mr. Shultzer," he said, trying to hide the fact that he had been startled from a morning nap. "I'm so glad you've come. I was hoping that you would bring…"

Shultzer moved with the speed of an angry panther. Grabbing the doctor by his coat, he snarled, "Where is she?"

The doctor blinked rapidly several times, unable for a moment to divine what the man was talking about. "Mrs. Shultzer?" he asked dully.

Shultzer shook him slightly. "Yes, you idiot," he growled. "Who else would I be asking about?"

"I'm sure I don't know," the doctor replied, trying unsuccessfully to wrestle himself free from the angry man's vise-like grip.

Shultzer shook him again. "Tell me where you took her, or so help me, old man, I will end you right here."

The doctor grasped at Shultzer's hands angrily. "I didn't put her anywhere," he said. "I heard the sentence of the judge. What kind of man do you think I am? I would never disobey the law in such a manner."

Shultzer relaxed his grip slightly, thinking that what the doctor said did seem to be in harmony with his general way of doing things. "You're saying you didn't have anything to do with it?"

The doctor extricated his coat from Shultzer's hands. "I have not seen your wife since sunset last night. It was my understanding that she was to hang unto morning. When you came in, I naturally assumed that you had retrieved her from the post and were perhaps seeking some kind of medical attention for her."

Shultzer sneered. "If I wanted medical attention for her, which I do not, I would never bring her to this place. When is the last time you even looked at the Cortex for anything new pertaining to your job?"

The doctor pulled himself up with as much dignity as he could muster. "Just yesterday I had a fine young doctor here to go over some of the more modern techniques with me."

Shultzer snorted. "A fat lot of good that did, I'm sure. But I'm not interested in your techniques, new or old. Some hundan has taken Eve down, and I intend to find out who it was."

The doctor peered at him over his glasses. "And do what?" he asked softly.

"Whatever I damn well please," Shultzer snapped, turning on his heel and heading to the town offices.

XXXXXXXXXX

Eve Shultzer awoke to the faint sound of someone moving around very quietly in her general vicinity. Wondering vaguely if she was truly awake or if this was the beginning of yet another horrific nightmare, she lay with her eyes closed, working up the courage to open them only after several long minutes.

She could tell that she was on some kind of ship because of the slight vibration under the table on which she found herself. She tried to remain perfectly still, knowing that the slightest movement would make the deep ache in her back bloom into excruciating pain. Concentrating on drawing shallow breaths that did not require movement of her torso, she listened carefully. But the room was quiet, except for the faint movements of someone else and the hum of the ship.

Daring to raise one eyelid, she closed it quickly as the bright light assaulted her red-rimmed eyes. A small moan escaped her lips, and there was immediate displacement of the air around her as whoever had been moving about in the room came to stand beside her bed. She tensed, moaning again as her muscles protested the movement.

"Lie as still as you can," the voice above her said. "You've been badly injured."

"I know," she croaked. "I remember."

The voice continued, deep and soothing, almost hypnotic. "You've been sleeping for awhile now," he explained. "I didn't want to disturb you if I could avoid it."

She opened her eyes to tiny slits, trying to save herself the sudden stab of bright light. "I'm on a slaver ship, aren't I?" she asked in a small voice. "He sold me to a slaver ship, didn't he?"

"I'm not sure who you're referring to, but I can assure you that you are not on a slaver ship," the voice answered.

Eve lifted her head slightly, gasping as the nerve endings of the back of her neck and across her shoulders sent pain shooting through her head. She saw, through the mist of the tears that sprang into her eyes, a slender man with dark hair and a kind face. He smiled slightly, reaching out to gently help her lay her head back onto the pillow. "Forgive me for not introducing myself. My name is Simon, and I'm the doctor aboard Serenity."

"Serenity?" she asked, licking her dry lips.

"Yes," Simon said gently. "You are on a ship named Serenity. And you are in the infirmary of that ship." He walked out of the line of her sight for a moment and she heard the sound of running water.

When he returned, he had a cup of water in his hand. "I'm afraid I don't have a straw to offer you," he said. "I know you must be very thirsty. Perhaps I can help you to sit up. If we move slowly, I think we can accomplish it."

Eve clenched her jaw tightly as Simon gently helped her into a better position for drinking. When the pain subsided enough she thought it possible to speak, she asked, "How did I get here?"

Simon looked at her with a trace of uneasiness. "We brought you here," he said. "You were so badly hurt, and I needed my equipment if I was to be of help to you."

Eve swallowed with difficulty. "You were there…in the square?" she asked, suddenly acutely aware of her lack of clothing.

"Yes," Simon answered simply. As if sensing her thoughts, he reached into a cabinet and produced an examination gown and silently handed it to her.

Eve's hands shook as she accepted it and Simon helped her to slip it on. Eve was silent for several minutes, her mind sluggish with the effects of the beating she'd received and the pain meds Simon had given her. Finally, she said, "Thank you."

Simon nodded. "Would you like me to help you to lie back down?" he asked.

"Please," she replied.

Carefully, Simon maneuvered her body back into a more comfortable position. "If you need something for the pain, I can give you more meds in about an hour."

Eve smiled weakly. "That would be good." She paused for a moment. "Where….where are you taking me?"

Simon sighed. "That's something you'll have to discuss with the Captain."

"When?" she asked, her words slurring as exhaustion took over once again.

"Soon," Simon replied, though he knew she had already slipped into sleep.

XXXXXXXXX

Tapping impatiently on the keyboard and waiting for his wave to be answered, Alan Shultzer thought of all the things he would do to the hundans who had deprived him of his moment of triumph. By the time the face he sought coalesced on the screen, he was well and truly ready for a fight.

"I thought we had agreed to keep our communications to a minimum," the commander of the Alliance supply vessel said thinly. "It would not be to advantage to either of us to be found out."

"I have a problem," Alan said, ignoring the man's concerns. "I have reason to believe that my wife has been taken offworld. How far out are you?"

"Less than a day," the Alliance officer replied. "I wasn't even aware you were married," he added after a beat.

"Yeah, well, I am," Shultzer said. "And I want her back. Seems a small vessel landed here yesterday and left again. And she's gone. So, I believe she's bound to be on that vessel."

"Slavers?" the officer asked.

"No," Shultzer replied. "I don't think so."

"Then why would they take her?"

Shultzer sighed heavily. "I don't know, but I intend to ask them just before I kill them. Now, can you help me or not?" he snapped.

The officer rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "What's in it for me?"

"Well, she knows about our little enterprise," Shultzer said. "So, I think it would be in your best interests to help me retrieve her, don't you?"

The officer scowled. "Can you use Mason's short-range shuttle to dock with us?"

Shultzer smiled. "That can be arranged," he said.

"Then, I'll give you the coordinates," the Alliance supply officer replied. "And we should be able to handle your little domestic problem with minimal effort. Then, you and Mason can just get the supplies a littler earlier than usual. Save me the rest of the trip."

Shultzer nodded. "We'll be there as soon as we can. She can't have gotten too far."

"Parliament has given all Alliance vessels that supply Rim worlds new long-range sensors," the supply officer continued. "Seems they think there's been too much piracy in this sector." He grinned at the irony of it. "Should be able to pick up their trail easily enough."

"Excellent," Shultzer replied. "Good to see our tax dollars at work."

"Ain't it just?" the officer replied. "And what better way to test them out than going on a little hunting expedition?"

As he cut the transmission, Shultzer thought that it was indeed a provident thing that he had a connection with the Alliance man. Perhaps it was true what the Bible-thumpers in the settlement said. It could be that the Lord did work in mysterious ways. He chuckled in anticipation.

XXXXXXXXXX

To be continued


	5. Chapter 5

**Whiplash**

**Part V—The Hunted**

Author: justslummin

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Just playin' in Joss' sandbox.

Rating: PG

Summary: Mal talks with Eve, and Mr. Shultzer bums a ride.

XXXXXXXXXX

Mal looked through the glass of the infirmary window with a strange sense of foreboding. Simon was talking with the woman he'd rescued, his dark hair sliding down over his forehead as he bent to speak in low tones with her. The woman nodded, and Mal watched as Simon gingerly helped her into a sitting position and arranged several soft pillows behind her. The woman shook her head, sitting a straight as she could manage and obviously unwilling to put any weight on her back.

Mal swallowed thickly, remembering the hundreds of tiny stitches that Simon had used to repair the damage done to her on that gorram whipping post. He studiously tried to avoid thinking about the emotional damage that Simon would not be able to heal with his suturing kit. Scrubbing his palms across his face to clear away such thoughts, he waited for another moment, until Simon glanced up at him and nodded almost imperceptibly.

He stepped into the room and smiled as warmly as he could manage at the woman. "Mrs. Shultzer, my name is Malcolm Reynolds, and I'm the Captain of Serenity," he said.

"Hello, Captain Reynolds," she replied in a pleasingly soft voice. "If it is all the same to you, I would prefer to be called Eve. 'Mrs. Shultzer' seems a little at the moment." Her smile was pleasant, even though the tight lines around her mouth and eyes let Mal know that she was still in a great deal of pain.

"Eve it is, then," he said, pulling up a stool beside the bed. "I conjure you have some questions for me, and I have a few of my own, if you don't mind."

"Of course," Eve replied. "First, let me say how appreciative I am of your help. It would seem I was in severe need of someone to…rescue me."

Mal shifted uncomfortably, feeling guilty for a fleeting moment remembering that he had been prepared to leave her where she was. "You have Simon and Jayne to thank for that," he said honestly. "Seems they took a notion to help you when they saw what was happening."

Eve bowed her head slightly. "I hope that I didn't cause any trouble for them," she said. "And I must admit I thought I might be dreaming when the doctor explained that this was not a slaver ship."

Mal stared at her for a moment, startled. "You thought Serenity was a slaver ship?"

"I was quite groggy when I first spoke to Simon," she said, hastening to avoid offending the Captain. "And I had no idea that there were people who would just…come and help me without an ulterior motive. I mean, I have nothing with which to repay your kindness. So, I thought that perhaps I had been sold to you. How else to explain that I had been put on a ship?" She paused briefly, swallowing the bile that rose in her throat. "And my husband is the sort of man who might find pleasure in seeing me sold into slavery," she added, almost whispering the thought.

Mal frowned, filled with both contempt and anger for a man who would treat his own in such a way. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said softly. "But it sorta' brings me to my question. Is your husband the kind of man like to come after us for helpin' you? Mind, if he does, we can see to your safety. But I got family on this boat, little ones to worry over, and I need an honest answer from you."

Eve gazed at him steadily, trying to divine the thoughts behind those stunningly blue eyes that looked so directly at her. "I don't know," she answered finally. "I had actually assumed that he was intending to leave me to die of exposure and blood loss. I had most assuredly not imagined living beyond the night. But, he is a dangerous man, and….." She stopped, trying to control the shudder that ran through her and ignited the nerve endings along her wounds.

"And?" Mal prompted, wincing himself as her face turned even paler than it had been before.

"And he has powerful friends," she said, drawing a deep breath.

"How powerful?" Mal asked. "The kind that hold a lot of power on your world but are little or nothing in the big, wide 'verse, or the kind that are like to bring trouble to my door?"

Eve was torn between her instinct to tell the Captain what she thought she knew and her desire to assuage his worry so that he would let her stay on the ship until she could heal properly and figure out what else to do. Deciding to trust him not to abandon her, she answered, "My husband is involved in something. I don't know exactly what it is, as he has very little inclination to talk to me, let alone confide in me. But there is something. Something with someone offworld. I have the impression that it is someone with power…perhaps an Alliance official of some sort. I can only assume that it is something illegal, as he is very secretive about the whole thing. But if he does have a contact with someone offworld who would have access to a ship, it is conceivable that he might try to find me. He is not the sort of man to let something go that he considers an affront to his dignity." She motioned feebly toward her back. "As you can clearly see from my current condition."

Mal grimaced when she mentioned a possible Alliance connection, thinking that was precisely the kind of thing he could have gone the rest of his life without hearing.

Eve, seeing his expression, felt her hopes begin to fade. "I will understand if you wish to turn around and deliver me back to my husband. It would more than likely be the smartest thing to do."

Mal rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. "Yeah well, I ain't known for always choosin' the smartest thing," he said after a moment.

Eve smiled, relieved beyond measure that he seemed disinclined to send her back into the hell of her old life. "I can't tell you how grateful I would be if you would allow me to stay onboard until your next stop," she said carefully. "In a few days, I should be able to be up and about, according to Simon. And while I have no coin with which to pay you, perhaps there is something I could do to earn my keep. I can sew fairly well, and I can cook." She thought for a moment. "And I can clean, though I might not be able to do the heavier things." She looked at Mal earnestly.

"Just you see about gettin' well for now," Mal said gruffly to hide the pity her manner brought to his heart. "We'll work somethin' out when you're better."

"Thank you, Captain Reynolds," she said, the relief making her heart lighter than it had been for a long while. "I promise I won't be any bother."

Mal nodded, pushing the stool away from the bed and turning to go. "I'd take it as a kindness if you weren't," he said, forcing a smile past the worry that whirred in his mind about the next few days.

XXXXXXXXXX

Mason scowled at Alan Shultzer with irritation. "You know I don't like to use the shuttle until we have to," he said. "Besides which, why do you care if someone took her? Weren't like she was faithful and true to you. All manner of unseemly to chase after a whore who's already shamed you, if you ask me."

"Well, I'm not asking you," Shultzer said, feeling the blood rushing to his ears. "How I handle my wife is my personal business."

Mason snorted. "Didn't seem all that personal when you had her stripped bare and whipped to a pulp in the town square. Seemed pretty public to me."

Shultzer had a fleeting mental image of wrapping his fingers around Mason's windpipe and squeezing just so. Blinking past the red mist that appeared in his vision, he said snidely, "And don't think I didn't notice how much you enjoyed that little display. Stood right there in the front row, grinning like a fool."

"What if I did?" Mason replied steadily. "You know I didn't ever like the little whore anyway. Always snooping about in our business, sneaking up quiet-like. Let's just say I like to see justice done, when it's done proper."

"Then let's get to the shuttle and rendezvous with the supply ship," Shultzer said as persuasively as he could. "And you and I can both be sure justice is done to her. Otherwise, she's a loose end, roaming about somewhere out there, knowing God knows what about our little operation. Best thing we can do is retrieve her before she starts talking."

Mason spat a long string of spittle to the ground at his partner's feet. "Only ship through here was that Firefly belongs to Mal Reynolds. And I just finished doing business of my own with him. Ain't rightly sure I want to get involved."

Shultzer grabbed Mason by the collar. "You are involved, you ching-wah tsao duh liou mahng. If she knows anything about what I'm doing, she knows you're doing it too. Dong ma?"

Mason pried Shultzer's fingers loose, straightening his collar and filing away for future reference his intention to end the man. "Fine," he snapped. "We'll go to the supply ship with my shuttle. But when we get her back, I expect to be able to spend some quality time with her my own self before you kill her."

Shultzer sneered. "Thought you didn't like her."

"I don't," Mason said thinly. "But that don't mean I can't find a use or two for her. Only fair, considerin' it's my shuttle we're taking."

"Fine," Shultzer said, shrugging extravagantly. "It makes no difference to me, as long as we get her back before she tells this Reynolds man what we're doing."

"And if she's already told him?" Mason asked.

"Well, then, we need some extra bullets," Shultzer said grimly.

XXXXXXXXXX

Mal rocked Hannah steadily to sleep, almost asleep himself after reading three bedtime stories to Adam and bathing and feeding Hannah. Realizing that his head was bobbing slightly, he eased out of the rocker and placed Hannah in the bassinet with all the care of a man with no desire to have to repeat the process after inadvertently waking her.

Yawning widely, he pulled his suspenders down and shucked off his boots. Serenity was quiet and he thought with relief that maybehaps no one would come for the woman in his infirmary after all. It had been two days since they had broken atmo, and still no one seemed to be following them, according to Serenity's sensors. He climbed into bed, punched up his pillow, and fell into a deep sleep.

XXXXXXXXXX

River sat on the bridge, staring out into the Black. She reached out to touch her husband's mind, skimming its surface with a butterfly's touch. She smiled at the dream he was having, and pulled away quickly so as not to disturb it. Her mind flitted lightly along the consciousness of the others of the crew and she was glad to know that they all rested calmly in Serenity's sleep cycle.

Only in the infirmary did she detect a note of discord. Eve was dreaming and the nightmare was painfully vivid. River pulled away, flinching at the images that assaulted her mind. She hugged her knees tightly to her chest, squeezing her eyes shut as if that could erase the other woman's turmoil from her own mind.

After a long while, she opened her eyes again. Shaken by what she had seen through Eve's eyes, she checked the sensors again. A small blip had appeared on the screen, fluctuating erratically, but definitely there all the same. She leaned forward, a small crease in her brow as she stared at the blip.

Her hands moved rapidly over the console as she tried to ascertain what type of vessel was following them. After a few minutes, a shape appeared. River rechecked her data, surprised by the results. But the data was correct, and her fingertips tapped nervously on the console as she considered the possibilities.

Flipping the comm unit to life with a burst of static, she piped a message to the Captain's bunk. "Mal, I think you need to come up here."

"On my way," Mal replied, his voice surprisingly alert considering that he had just been awakened from a very pleasant dream.

XXXXXXXXXX

"A supply vessel?" Mal asked, looking at the screen over River's shoulder.

"That's how it reads," River said. "But why would a supply vessel be following us?"

"You sure they're following us?" Mal asked. "Could be they just happen to be on the same route."

"Not likely," River responded. "I didn't plot our course through the regular trade routes. So there should be no need for a supply ship out this far from the normal route."

Mal gripped the back of the pilot's chair. "Maybehaps they're lost."

"Perhaps," River said. "Though I do not detect any problem with their navigation. And they don't seem to be drifting. We change course slightly, and they change course with us."

"For how long?" Mal asked, dread shooting down his spine.

"Not sure," River replied. "I didn't see them at first, I think. I was…distracted."

Mal looked at her oddly. "Reading the crew again?"

River blushed. "Just checking on them," she replied in a whisper.

Mal smiled, kissing the top of her head. "Don't blame you. I'm a mite antsy myself." Turning back to the screen, he said, "Are they getting closer?"

"Not yet," River said. "They're just matching us move for move now."

Mal nodded. "Keep watching. I'll get Kaylee to see to the children and I'll be right back."

River nodded, turning her attention back to the console as Mal left the bridge.

XXXXXXXXXX

To be continued


	6. Chapter 6

**Whiplash**

**Part VI—The Search**

Author: justslummin

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Just playin' in Joss' sandbox.

Rating: PG

Summary: The Alliance Commander and Shultzer disagree about how to proceed, and Mal and the crew endure a search of Serenity.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Easier just to blow them away from right here," the Alliance commander said, looking at the Firefly with disdain. "Save us the trouble of talking."

Mason scowled. "I don't think that's a good idea. Could be Shultzer's whore ain't even aboard her. No need to burn 'em if we ain't gotta."

Shultzer nodded. "I'm fair certain she's aboard. But, I want her back in one piece, so's I can take my time makin' sure she pays for her sins."

The Alliance officer suppressed a shudder of revulsion at the bloodthirsty attitude of the man. While he himself had no problem with dispatching an enemy with a certain clinical detachment, Shultzer was just downright morbid and creepifying with his zealous intent. And if the man had not been so highly connected on his little world, the supply officer would have dealt exclusively with Mason for their clandestine dealings. But, the 'verse being what it was, he had to partner with folks he didn't necessarily enjoy if he was to become a rich man while he was still young enough to enjoy the fruits of his duplicity. 

Mason continued as if Shultzer had not spoken. "Could be we could just follow 'em where they're going and pick her up when she gets off the ship." He was still strangely reluctant to tangle with Reynolds and his band of travelers, if there was a way to avoid it.

The Commander shook his head. "I don't have the time nor inclination to chase a Firefly half across the 'verse for a woman who might or might not be on the boat anyway. So whatever we're gonna do, we're gonna do here. Dong ma?"

Shultzer nodded. "Then I say we board their vessel, find Eve, and kill the rest of them."

"What if we just ask for her and they give her back?" Mason said. "Could be they're not interested enough in protecting her to risk entanglements."

"No good," Shultzer replied. "If she's there, we run the risk that she's told Reynolds about the operation. And if she's done that, none of us are safe unless they all die."

Mason opened his mouth to protest, but the Commander interrupted him. "No, he's right, as far as it goes. If she's there at all, we'd best handle it out here right now, before they have time to figure what to do about it."

"And if she's not there?" Mason persisted.

"Then, we say we were just doing a routine inspection, get the hell off their boat, and beat Shultzer here to a bloody pulp for the trouble," the Commander said, smiling widely.

XXXXXXXXXX

Mal sat at the co-pilot's station, staring at the supply ship in the distance. "Doesn't make any sense," he murmured. "Why an Alliance supply ship? I don't see a connection between our passenger and a supply ship."

"Nor do I," River replied. "But one must exist, unless you can think of some other reason for a supply ship to be following us."

"Maybehaps Christmas is coming early this year," Mal replied dryly. "Could be the Alliance is delivering turkeys to all the transport ships in the area, and today's our lucky day."

"Yes, I'm sure that's it, sir," Zoe said from the shadows of the bridge. 

Simon sighed at the dry humor. "Well, whatever the reason is, the real question is, What are we going to do about it?"

Mal looked up at him, his blue eyes flashing with sudden irritation. "I conjure we'll just have to wait and see what kind of go se you and Jayne have brought down on this crew. And from the looks of it, we won't have to wait too long."

Everyone turned back to the window to see the supply ship rapidly closing the distance between the two ships. Jayne grunted. "Looks like they're carryin' some unusual ordinance for a simple supply ship."

Mal looked more closely and saw what Jayne had seen. A rather large cannon had appeared on the top of the ship. As they watched, the sights of the cannon were positioned dishearteningly close to their current trajectory.

"River," Mal began, even as River's hands began to fly across the navigational console.

"On it," she replied, moving Serenity out of the line of fire.

"Get Kaylee to the engine room. We may have to run," Mal said, turning to Simon. "Now." As Simon moved quickly to obey, River said, "They're hailing us."

"Put them through," Mal replied, getting up and coming to stand behind River for a better view of the vid screen. Zoe moved seamlessly into the co-pilot's chair. 

There was a burst of static, followed by a moment of silence. "I wish to speak to the Captain of your vessel," the Alliance commander said imperiously.

"I'm Captain Reynolds," Mal replied, leaning down toward the screen. "And you are?"

"I'm Commander York of the Alliance ship 'Good Hope'," the man replied crisply. "Prepare for immediate docking."

"Whoa now," Mal said as easily as he could manage. "Seems to me we're jumping the gun a mite. What exactly seems to be the problem, officer? And why does an Alliance supply vessel need to dock with us?"

"There is no problem, Captain Reynolds," York said. "We are under orders from Central Command to search all ships in this sector. It would seem that there have been some issues…with supplies being hijacked before they could arrive at their destinations. Piracy, if you will."

"Well now, I can assure you that there is nothing illegal going on here," Mal said, putting on his best wide-mouthed grin. "We're just a simple transport t vessel going about our perfectly legitimate enterprises. May as well save yourself the trouble of docking."

York smiled thinly. "It is no trouble for me to obey my direct orders, Captain Reynolds…unless you intend to make it trouble. I will be boarding your vessel in a few minutes, with or without your cooperation."

Mal sighed. "No need to get tetchy about it, Commander. We're holding a steady course here. Should be ready to dock in a few minutes."

"Excellent," the commander said. "Please assemble your crew and any passengers in your cargo bay. We will try to be quick." Mal nodded, resisting the urge to say anything else as the man cut the transmission abruptly.

"So what do we do?" Jayne asked.

Mal drew a deep breath. "We find a good gorram place to put Eve, and then we go to the cargo bay and hope to heaven or hell that this Fed isn't good at hide and seek."

XXXXXXXXXX

"I want to go," Shultzer said loudly enough to make York's teeth rattle. 

"Soon as they see you, they'll know why we're there," Mason said. "And then the go se'll hit the fan. Best to let York handle it. Ain't no need for Reynolds to see me nor you unless it goes south."

Turning back to York, Shultzer said, "You promise me that you'll bring her back to me still alive?"

"Yeah, I will," York replied, getting more and more annoyed with the man by the minute. "And I'll call you if we need backup," he added snidely.

Shultzer nodded eagerly, the sarcasm of the statement lost on him. "I'll be ready."

York rolled his eyes and turned to give instructions to his men.

XXXXXXXXXX

Mal leaned against a crate in the cargo bay, ostensibly calm, but actually on high alert. He was acutely aware of his crew, spread out around him in various degrees of readiness. Looking almost casual if one did not know that she was capable of being a fierce warrior, River sat on the bottom steps between Adam and Anya, who held Hannah in her arms.

Jayne leaned against the railings, with that look of utter boredom he always got when he was at his most deadly. Zoe and Jim stood on opposite sides of the cargo bay, having tacitly agreed to cover as much of the rest of the crew as necessary if things went pear-shaped. Simon stood with his arm around Kaylee, who held Daniel close to her chest, his blanket hiding the gun Simon held.

Serenity shuddered as the supply ship sealed the airlock, creating a passageway between the two ships. Mal could feel the sudden heightened tension of his crew behind him, and he rolled his head from side to side, stretching the bunched muscles of his shoulders.

In less than a minute, a troop of heavily armed men in Alliance uniforms stepped through the cargo bay doors and fanned out around their Commander. "Captain Reynolds," York said, nodding slightly. "Is this your entire crew?" 

"It is," Mal replied shortly. 

"And your papers?" York asked, holding out his hand with an impatient gesture.

Mal nodded to Zoe, who handed York the papers and stepped back to her previous position. York flipped through the papers, giving them a cursory glance as he imagined a commander of a real military vessel might do. Nodding curtly, he said to Mal, "My men will now search your ship. You and your people will stay here until the search is completed. Dong ma?"

Mal nodded just as curtly. "Seems simple enough," he drawled.

"Good," York replied, motioning his men forward. As the men made their way into the interior of the ship, Mal said, "Seems your folk are a mite heavily armed for a standard search. And way more armed than the typical supply boat crew."

York smiled thinly. "One can't be too careful out here on the Rim, Captain. Don't you agree?"

"S'pose not," Mal said pleasantly. "Though this ain't exactly the standard trade route for a supply ship to be takin'."

"As I said before, Captain," York said icily, "The Alliance has directed that we police the sector more thoroughly."

"So you said," Mal replied, a niggling thought worrying the base of his spine. A heavy silence fell, punctuated only by the sounds of the search proceeding throughout the ship. Mal glanced at River, who looked back at him calmly. So far, so good.

York began to fidget, uncomfortable with the silence but having no idea of what to do about it. He wished fervently that his men would hurry up and find the woman, if she was even there to be found. Just as he was thinking that perhaps he would have been better advised to just kill Shultzer and Mason and find a new contact on that dustball of a planet they called home, one of his men returned, whispering a message into his ear.

Taking a deep breath, he turned his back to Mal and the crew, pulling the man closer to him. "Are you certain?" he asked quietly.

The man nodded. "We've looked everywhere, sir. Twice, in fact. She ain't here."

York nodded. "Gather the men and head back to the ship. I'll finish up here." Turning back to Mal, he smiled widely. "It would seem you were telling me the truth, Captain Reynolds. My men report that they have found no contraband on this vessel. The Alliance thanks you for your cooperation. And of course, should you become aware of any piracy in this sector, you are required by law to report it to the nearest Fed station." He handed the packet of papers back to Mal. "Good day, Captain Reynolds."

"Yeah, good day," Mal replied, watching the cargo doors close behind the man. When Serenity shuddered once more as the seal was broken between the vessels, he turned to Inara. "Best go see to her," he said. "That took longer than I had planned on."

Inara nodded. Picking up her skirts, she headed to her shuttle, Simon following on her heels. Mal turned to the rest of the crew. "Good job, people," he said. "That went smoother than I thought it might."

"And a welcome change it was, sir," Zoe replied blandly, engaging the safety on her weapon. "You think they were legit?"

"Not by a long shot," Mal replied. "Don't know what's going on, but that was no military detail we just saw."

"Pirates," River said. "A rogue commander. Skimming the cream off the top. Stealing the supplies he's supposed to deliver and selling them on the Black Market."

"That would explain a lot," Mal replied. "But what does that have to do with Eve?"

"Nothing," River replied. "But her hundan husband is involved, though York was thinking that perhaps his involvement would soon come to a bloody end."

Mal chuckled. "Sounds like justice of some sort, anyway. York like to come back and look again?"

River frowned and tilted her head to the side. "No," she said after a moment. "Not York."

"That's good then," Mal replied. Turning back to his crew, he said, "Best we all get back to work then. Nothing to see here anymore."

As the crew disbursed, he turned back to River. "If not York, then who?" he asked quietly.

River looked at him with huge brown eyes. "Mr. Shultzer," she replied solemnly.

XXXXXXXXXX

To be continued


	7. Chapter 7

**Whiplash**

**Part VII—Therapy**

Author: justslummin

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Just playin' in Joss' sandbox.

Rating: PG

Summary: Inara and Simon retrieve Eve from her hiding place, and the crew discusses the gravity of the situation over supper.

XXXXXXXXXX

Inara rushed into her shuttle, her skirts billowing out behind her. She opened the lid of her large chest, pulling gowns hastily out and scattering them on the floor. Simon reached into the chest, gently offering a hand to Eve. "Are you all right?" he asked.

Eve nodded, wincing as she sat up in the chest. "I don't know how you can wear those dresses," she said weakly to Inara. "They're so heavy."

"Well, I don't usually wear five of them at the time," Inara said, smiling at the little woman. "I'm just glad you didn't suffocate."

Eve nodded. "Kaylee rigged that tank quickly," she said, looking at the small oxygen tank and mask with wonderment. "One would think she does things like that all the time."

Simon smiled. "Actually, she does," he said. "My wife is a wonder at keeping this crew alive one way or another."

"I thought that was your job, Doctor," Eve said softly.

"Usually takes more than one person at a time to keep this crew alive," Simon replied, grinning until Eve wobbled groggily. "Are you sure you're all right?"

Eve sighed. "Just weak as a newborn kitten." She looked back into the trunk where she had lain. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Inara," she said sadly. "It looks like I may have ruined the blue one."

Inara peered into the chest, seeing the blood stains on the icy blue silk. "It's all right," she said, her throat tight with the thought of where those marks had come from. "I have something that will get that right out."

Simon gently pulled apart the edges of Eve's gown, revealing the leaking wounds. "It looks as if you've pulled a few stitches loose. That's what caused the bleeding. It's easily repaired, however. Just a few stitches, and we can bandage everything back up."

Eve nodded tiredly and allowed herself to lean on Simon's arm to make it to the door. Inara watched them go, thinking that when Simon was finished repairing the damage done to Eve's back, she would go to the infirmary to see what she could do about repairing some of the other damage done.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Your men just didn't know where to look," Shultzer snarled, not at all intimidated by the position in which he currently found himself. 

York's hand tightened around his windpipe, cutting off his ability to speak. "Problem's not with my men," he said evenly, though his eyes flashed with a fire that would make most men cower. "Problem is, you couldn't keep your woman in control in the first place. Mason told me all about your little domestic problem, and how you set about to handle it. And now, she's made a fool of you again, sending you out on some wild goose chase when she's probably back on that dustball of a planet laughing her deceitful little head off. And while that may have provided me with amusement in other circumstances, I ain't too pleased with it just now. Your stupidity has thrown me a day behind schedule for the deliveries."

Mason tried to pry York's hand from his partner's throat. "You can make up the time," he said placatingly. "You would have spent half the day dropping our part of the supplies anyway. As it is, we can just take them from here and you can go on your merry."

York's grip eased, but his eyes still shone with anger. "You need to find a new partner," he muttered to Mason. "This hundan is like to get us all caught or killed with his stupidity."

Mason nodded slowly, but said nothing. Shultzer squirmed slightly, trying to get York to release the last of the pressure on his throat. York did so, slinging him to the floor with a disdainful snort. "Get off my boat…now," he said to the two men. "And don't even think about taking your cut of the supplies this time around. Way I see it, you owe me for the trouble."

Shultzer moved to protest, but Mason cut him short. "Seems reasonable," Mason replied, relieved that York was not going to require anything further. Pulling Shultzer up to his feet, he steered him toward the door, thinking of just how he was going to get rid of his troublesome partner as soon as they got back home.

XXXXXXXXXX

Eve lay on her stomach in the infirmary, drifting on a cloud of fuzzy thought as the pain meds kicked in. Simon had carefully re-stitched her wounds and told her to rest, dimming the lights as he left. Eve sighed wearily, feeling the lethargy that had been a constant part of her life since she had watched her lover die creeping back into her bones. Simon had said that such a feeling was normal, even natural considering what she had been through. But the thought had been less than comforting to her. 

She knew, reasonably speaking, that she would have to construct some plan, some way to start fresh. It was obvious to her that she could not return home, as Alan seemed more than willing to hunt her down even in the Black. And she couldn't stay here, she thought sadly. Her presence on the ship had almost cost the lives of the crew this afternoon. She knew no one else, no one she could turn to for aid. She had no family beyond the man who was currently hunting her down to kill her, and he had made very sure in the course of their marriage that any friends she had had were long gone. She closed her eyes, weary beyond the effort of holding them open.

Shortly, she became aware that Inara had entered the room, her subtle perfume heralding her arrival. Eve raised her head and looked around. "Hello, Inara," she said softly.

Inara smiled. "I hope I didn't wake you," she said kindly. 

"No, I wasn't asleep," Eve said. "Just lying here…thinking, I suppose."

"May I ask what you were thinking about?" Inara said.

Eve drew in a deep breath, wincing as the movement tugged at her stitches. "Just things," she replied vaguely.

"I see," Inara said. She paused delicately for a moment. "You know, I was a Companion for a long time."

Eve looked at her curiously, wondering where this line of conversation would go. "Yes, I had heard," she said.

"And as such," Inara continued, her kohl eyes warm and inviting, "I was trained as a counselor of sorts."

Eve nodded. "I suppose that would come in handy, in that line of work."

"Yes, it did," Inara said. "But I find I still have use for the skills I learned as a counselor. Perhaps, if you would like, we could talk together about what happened to you and what you want to do now. I'm available, if you wish."

Eve smiled tiredly. "I appreciate the offer, Inara, but ….pardon me for saying this, but you can't possibly know what I'm going through. You have no frame of reference."

"You might be surprised," Inara pressed gently. "I've lived on Serenity for a long time now, and there have been things…..things that I've had to deal with that might give me some insight into your circumstances." When Eve looked at her skeptically, she continued, "Besides, what could it hurt? You will be leaving as soon as you're well. You can tell me anything, knowing that we most likely will never see each other again."

Eve laughed, the sound like tiny little bells ringing. "Suppose that's true enough," she said. 

Inara settled back in the chair, smiling at her warmly. "Good," she said. "Where would you like to begin?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Mason settled back into the pilot's seat, adjusting the course of his shuttle. "We should be back home in about a half a day," he said, glancing over at Shultzer.

Shultzer nodded, moving restlessly in the cabin. "Still think she's on that boat," he said doggedly. "And one of York's men told me that their course was set for Persephone when he checked the bridge."

"What if she is on the boat?" Mason said. "Why should it matter so much? Good riddance to bad rubbish, my Mama would have said." He paused for a moment, thinking how long it had been since he'd even thought about his mother. Shaking the random thought away, he said, "Why don't you sit down? You're making me nervous."

"Just need to move about a bit," Shultzer said, his voice coming from somewhere behind Mason. "Don't feel like sitting, just now."

Mason shrugged. "Suit yourself," he said, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. 

"I will," Shultzer replied, quickly wrapping a thin wire around Mason's exposed neck and jerking it sharply. 

Mason gasped once, clawing at the garrote with frantic hands. Shultzer leaned forward, pressing his lips against Mason's ear. "Need your shuttle, partner," he hissed, yanking the wire mercilessly through the tender flesh of Mason's neck until the man went limp.

Shultzer wiped his bloody hands on Mason's shirt, pushing the corpse out of the chair. Turning to the console, he set a course for the nearest planet with a decent port. He needed to get to Persephone, and that was the quickest way to do it.

XXXXXXXXXX

"So, Eve's husband is part of some sort of piracy ring?" Kaylee asked, her green eyes wide with curiosity.

"Seems like," Mal replied, swallowing a mouthful of stew.

"Hundan to the core, then," Jayne observed, sopping up the last of his stew with a piece of bread.

"That would explain why the doctor in the settlement has not been receiving his supplies," Simon said slowly, pondering the situation. "Could be that the supply ship is coming and leaving a portion of the supplies with Shultzer, having made some type of arrangement to keep most of the goods."

Mal nodded. "Good scam, so long as everybody stays in line. Shultzer gets what he needs, the supply ship commander gets what he needs, and they both make a tidy profit. Since Shultzer is on the town council, he can sign for the goods with none the wiser back at the Alliance depot."

"But the doctor has been complaining to the Alliance brass for a long time about not getting the supplies," Simon said, frowning. "How do they keep getting away with it?"

"So long as somebody listed as an official of the settlement is signing that the goods are there, the Alliance will ignore the doctor. It's all about paperwork," Jim said. "If the paperwork's in order, there's no problem from the perspective of the depot."

"Sounds about right," Mal said with a hint of residual bitterness in his tone.

"So the sick people don't get what they need?" Adam asked, worry crinkling his brow.

"That's why Uncle Simon gave them supplies from Serenity," River said gently, smiling reassuringly at her son.

"What about Eve?" Kaylee asked quietly. "Does she know what he's doing?"

"I don't think so," Mal replied. "At least, she didn't tell me if she did. I have the feeling she was just sorta' caught up in this mess, along with everything else."

Kaylee bowed her head, filled with sadness for the woman in the infirmary. "Musta' been an awful thing," she said softly.

Simon put his arms around his wife, struck anew with wonder at her capacity for empathy. "Well, she's away from all that now," he said softly. "And she can start a new life somewhere…anywhere she'd like."

"With the hundan hunting her down the whole time," Jayne said realistically, seeing no need to sugarcoat the situation.

Silence fell around the table as everyone thought about that possibility. Finally, Mal cleared his throat. "Cross that bridge when she comes to it, I imagine," he said. "'Til then, best we be keeping an eye out for trouble. No need to be caught off guard if we know what we're like to be facing."

"And once we get to Persephone?" Simon asked. "What then?"

Mal sighed. "Then we let her decide what she wants to do. I conjure that's the only way she'll ever feel safe again." Having said what he could say on the matter, he pushed his chair back and took his plate to the sink, the weight of worry settling firmly between his shoulder blades.

XXXXXXXXXX

To be continued


	8. Chapter 8

**Whiplash**

**Part VIII—On the Way to Persephone**

Author: justslummin

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Just playin' in Joss's sandbox.

Rating: PG

Summary: The trip to Persephone unfolds, and Shultzer requests some backup.

XXXXXXXXXX

The next days passed uneventfully as Eve continued to heal and the crew prepared for their arrival on Persephone. Though River tried to pick up on any threat from Mr. Shultzer, she found that she could not. The fact should have alleviated her worry, but instead it had the opposite effect. She walked around in a daze, waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop.

Mal fared no better. Unable to formulate a real plan in the absence of more information, he focused on maintaining a constantly vigilant alert, thereby robbing himself of any time to truly rest. The upcoming meeting with Badger was the least of his worries and he thought it passing strange that it should be so. 

Simon, all too aware of the stress he'd brought to the whole crew, concentrated on Eve's recovery, anxious that she should be well on the way to health when they reached Persephone. To that end, he worked with Inara on Eve's emotional recovery as well, providing what he could in the way of anti-depressants to assist her in therapy.

Jayne, for his part, did what he always did in preparation for a job. He meticulously cleaned his weapons, oiling and polishing them to a dull shine. Unlike Simon, he had no regrets about the danger into which he'd thrown the crew. Jayne was a simple man, and saw things in a simple way. The woman had needed help in the worst possible way, and he and Simon had extended it. Everything that had happened thereafter was a moot point.

Zoe was of a similar mind, though her thought processes were somewhat more convoluted. She had seen many women like Eve, women who, despite a better than average intelligence, found themselves in situations that led to their harm. She had often wondered what turn of events could have changed such women from powerful creatures to the victims they became. The thought left her vaguely uneasy and all the more determined to see Eve up and on her feet both physically and emotionally. 

Kaylee, too, had known such women. Back on Harvest, her mama had nursed many a woman back to health after a beating from their man. Mrs. Frye, never one to mince words, had tried to instill in them a feeling of self-worth, the idea being that a woman who believed in her innate strength would not allow herself to be emotionally or physically abused more than once. Eve could have used a woman like her mother, Kaylee found herself thinking over and over again as they neared Persephone. But in the environment of the Core world, she doubted Eve would find such a person to strengthen her.

Inara, for her part, spent long hours with Eve, talking about any and everything the woman wanted to discuss. She found her to be surprisingly quick-witted, with a strange sense of humor that caught Inara slightly off guard, considering the circumstances. 

Eve, as was often the case with women in her situation, had long ago learned the art of smoothing a situation. To that end, she hid the truth of her turmoil within, knowing that Inara would not be content to allow her to go out on her own once Serenity landed on Persephone if she could not convince her that she was fine, or at least coping well. And in a manner of speaking, she rationalized, she was recovering nicely. Thanks to the superior treatment she'd received from Simon, she was healing physically much more readily than she ever would have under the care of the old doctor in the settlement. And as for her emotional state, she was quite confident that she would never recover any degree of normalcy again. The thought, instead of disheartening her, gave her a strange feeling of liberation. Or perhaps it was just that the farther Serenity took her from Alan Shultzer, the better she felt, she thought wryly.

She sat in the common area, careful to keep her back as straight as possible to avoid the inevitable pain that came from bending it. Working under the brightest light she could find on the ship, she was busily mending a tear in the sleeve of the Captain's coat. Her stitches were small and precise, exactly as her mother had taught her long ago. She pushed the thought of her mother away, the grief she felt at the loss of her still raw after five years. If her mother had been alive when she met Alan Shultzer, Eve thought, she would have seen through the charming exterior of the man and into the darkness that resided in him. Her mother had a knack for such things, and Eve had had many occasions over the past three years to wish she had inherited it. Thinking such distracting thoughts, she jabbed the needle into the end of her thumb. Crying out and sticking it immediately into her mouth to stop the sting, she looked up to see the Captain watching her with something akin to amusement.

"That's what happens to me when I mend something," he said, his smile warm and engaging.

"Just got distracted is all," Eve said, around the digit in her mouth. Taking it out and looking at it gingerly, she added, "But fortunately I was just finishing with your coat when it happened." She smiled, holding up the sleeve with a flourish.

Mal walked over to it, fingering the tiny needlework she'd done appreciatively. "Looks good as new," he said.

Eve laughed lightly. "I don't think this coat will ever really look as good as new again," she said, running her hands along its folds. "But it does look loved."

"If by loved you mean worn threadbare, you'd be right," Mal said, his own hands unconsciously smoothing the material.

"Had a coat like that myself once," Eve said softly. "Belonged to my father. He fought at Dhu Khong."

Mal nodded. "I was there for awhile. Weren't no garden spot."

"No, so Father said," Eve replied, thinking about how much she missed the man. 

"So, did your father make it out?" Mal asked.

Eve nodded. "Out of Dhu Khong, yes. But out of the war, no. I mean, he came home and everything, but he was….."

"Dead inside," Mal finished.

Eve looked up at him, relieved to be understood. "Yes," she said. "He only lived for a couple of years after he got home. Just sort of….gave up, I suppose you'd say. His spirit was broken."

Mal swallowed the lump that rose in his throat. "Lots of men did that," he said. "Good men, who just couldn't handle what they'd seen." He paused for a moment. "But I got a notion that no matter what a person's seen, or been through, he…or she…can come out the other end. Maybe not all whole and shiny like they were before, but whole enough to keep on getting up every morning." His blue eyes bored a hole into hers. "Don't you think?"

Eve nodded solemnly. "I do," she whispered when she thought she could speak.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I don't understand quite where you're going with this, Mr. Shultzer," the commander of the Alliance garrison on the Eavesdowne docks said.

Shultzer drew a deep breath, trying to fight his very real urge to use his garrote on this insipid fool. "I can't imagine anything more clear," he said evenly. 

Commander Crenshaw took his own deep breath. "I suppose it is that I'm unclear as to your authority in this matter," he said finally.

"I am the chairman of the settlement council," Shultzer explained again, speaking very slowly. "And it is in my capacity as chairman that I am here. Mrs. Shultzer is a fugitive from justice. She left the settlement without serving out a sentence that had been imposed by the local court. In her escape, she was aided by the Captain of a Firefly class vessel that goes by the name of Serenity. I have it on good authority that Serenity is headed here to conduct business. And I am appealing to you to give me the tactical backup I need to retrieve the prisoner and have her sent back to the settlement to serve the rest of her sentence."

"And the fact that Mrs. Shultzer is your wife in no way affects this case?" the commander said dryly.

"Of course it does," Shultzer said, putting on his best grieved look. "It pains me to think that my wife could be so utterly duplicitous as to try to evade rightful punishment for her crime. It is a reflection on me as a husband. But I must put those personal feelings aside to do my job as chairman of the council. Can I count on your assistance?"

Commander Crenshaw thought about the story for a moment. "Perhaps I would feel more inclined to send in reinforcements for you if I could have some kind of proof that she is in violation of the ordinance of your settlement and should be extradited to settle the matter. And then of course, there is the issue of when the vessel you say she is on will arrive. I am short-staffed as it is. My men don't have time to sit at the docks waiting for a Firefly to appear."

Shultzer nodded his understanding, happy to see that the Commander was indeed considering whether to help him. "Shouldn't be a problem, sir," he said diffidently. "I will be watching the docks myself. Perhaps I could simply let you know when it arrives."

"Still doesn't solve the problem of proof for your story," the commander said.

Shultzer smiled, his manner persuasive. "That is an issue easily settled. You can contact the judge who handled the case. I am quite sure he would confirm the sentence, and also the fact that she did not serve that sentence completely. I could wave him from here, if you'd like to listen in."

Crenshaw nodded, motioning to his Cortex screen. "Be my guest," he said.

Shultzer smiled, arranging his face in a pleasing manner. Tapping quickly on the Commander's keyboard, he waited for a moment for the face of the judge to appear on the screen. "Shultzer?" the judge said, squinting as if that would clear up the entire situation. "Where are you?"

"Persephone," Shultzer said.

"What are you doing there?" the judge asked, his eyebrows threatening to go into his hairline. "Thought sure you'd be here beating the bushes, looking for Eve."

"My search for Eve has landed me in Persephone," Shultzer said as patiently as he could. "I'm here with Commander Crenshaw, who wishes to ask you a few questions."

"About what?" the judge asked suspiciously.

Crenshaw leaned forward, making sure the judge saw him clearly. "I need to know whether the sentence you imposed on Mrs. Shultzer was served," he said. 

The judge looked from Shultzer to Crenshaw, trying to divine what it was that Shultzer wanted him to say. After a long pause, he said, "No, it was not…at least not in its entirety."

"And is Mr. Shultzer here in his official capacity as chairman of the settlement council, or is he here to handle a domestic dispute?" Crenshaw asked.

The judge licked his lips nervously, seeing Shultzer's scowl clearly. He'd always been a little afraid of Shultzer for some reason, though he could think of nothing in particular that had triggered such fear. He took a deep breath and a chance on the answer. "Official capacity," he said, glancing at Shultzer, who nodded slightly and smiled.

"I see," Commander Crenshaw said. "I believe that the garrison can help you handle this matter if you will process some paperwork stating officially what you've just confirmed for me. You can send it to me here."

The judge nodded, happy to have said the right thing to get Shultzer's approval. "Shouldn't take too long to do that," he said. "Assuming an affidavit is enough."

"So long as it has your official seal on it," Crenshaw said. "You can send it to this wave address."

"And be quick about it," Shultzer added. "I need that paperwork in hand when she gets here. Dong ma?"

The judge swallowed thickly, nervous under any kind of deadline. "I understand," he said. "I'll get it done."

Shultzer cut the transmission, turning to smile at the Commander. "So," he said. "I'm assuming I can depend on the garrison to help me retrieve her and bring those who aided and abetted her escape to justice."

Commander Crenshaw nodded crisply. "Once we get the paperwork in order, that is precisely what we will do."

Shultzer stuck out his hand, eagerly pumping Crenshaw's until the man pulled his hand away uncomfortably. "Good," Shultzer said. "It's a pleasure to know that the Alliance is here to help support the folks on the Rim worlds like this."

"All part of the job," Crenshaw said, smiling thinly.

XXXXXXXXXX

To be continued


	9. Chapter 9

**Whiplash**

**Part IX—At the Docks**

Author: justslummin

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Just playin' in Joss' sandbox.

Rating: PG

Summary: When Serenity sets down on Persephone, Eve ventures out into the world, and complications develop.

XXXXXXXXXX

Simon stood looking at Eve with a skeptical expression. "Are you sure that there's nothing else we can do for you?" he asked for the third time. 

"I'll be fine," Eve said, giving him a shaky smile. "You've done more than you can know already, and I'm thankful for it." Turning to Mal, she added, "All of you."

Mal's worried look abated slightly. "Persephone is a gorram big place for a woman such as yourself." Discreetly handing her a bag of coins, he said, "Best you get away from the docks as soon as you can. There's safer places on the other side of the capital city. Might want to take a public hovercraft to get there."

Eve nodded, her eyes welling with tears at the generosity of the gift. "I will," she said. Turning to Inara, she hugged the woman. "Thank you for listening to me," she whispered low.

"You're more than welcome," Inara replied, returning her hug warmly. "And feel free to wave me anytime. I want to know how you're doing."

"I will," Eve said, forcing herself to pull away from the warmth, knowing that if she did not leave now, she might never want to leave again. Turning back to Mal, she said, "I suppose I'm ready then."

Simon stepped forward. "At least let me see her safely into a hovercraft. It can be difficult to find one at this time of day."

Mal nodded, motioning Jayne to lower the ramp. Eve squared her shoulders and stepped out into the sunlight with Simon as the rest of the crew watched her departure with varying degrees of relief and hope for her future.

When they had moved out of sight, lost in the shuffling crowds of the Eavesdowne docks, Mal turned back to the crew. "Well, now that she's gone, maybehaps we can get back to our regular work. Zoe, Jayne, I want you to come with me to see Badger." Looking at River, he added, "Best you stay here and keep a watch on things. I still ain't quite settled about the whole business."

As River nodded and turned back toward the bridge, Kaylee asked, "Cap'n, seein' as how you'll be at Badger's for awhile, you think I could maybe go down to the salvage yard, and pick up a few things? Persephone's always got good junk."

Mal smiled at the enthusiasm of his young mechanic, thinking that motherhood had changed her very little. "If you can persuade Jim to go with you, I conjure it'll be all right. Just don't stay too long, and remember that my pockets ain't exactly lined with coin."

Kaylee gave him a sunny smile. "I love my Captain," she said happily.

XXXXXXXXXX

Weaving through the congested docks, Simon and Eve made slow progress. "You really didn't need to come with me, Doctor," Eve said for the second time. "I'm really all right."

"I could use a walk in the fresh air anyway," Simon said, shrugging. He could not begin to explain to her that he felt somehow responsible for her life now, as if saving her once had bound him to her permanently. Thinking himself that the idea was absurd, he tried to think of what to say to change the subject. "What are you going to do once you get to the other side of the city?" he asked.

Eve stopped for a moment, staring at the sky as if her answers would miraculously appear there. Then, turning back to Simon, she smiled. "Not rightly sure," she said. "But Persephone is a big place, and there's bound to be some kind of work I can do here." After a beat, she added, "I'm a good worker, you know."

"I've no doubt of it," Simon said, her hopeful words pulling at his heart. 

"Maybe I can…." Eve's words trailed off into horrified silence as she looked up at the man who had stepped into her path. Alan Shultzer stood before her, towering over her with a look of utter calm. 

"Hello, Eve," he said as pleasantly as if he were making a social call.

Eve stepped backward instinctively, bumping into Simon with the motion. "Who is this?" Simon asked. "Do you know this man?"

Alan Shultzer smiled benignly at Simon. "I should hope she knows me," he said evenly. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Alan Shultzer, and I am Eve's husband. And you are…?"

Simon stepped between Alan and Eve quickly. "My name is Simon. And I am your wife's doctor."

"Is that what you call it?" Shultzer said mildly. "So, you are the man who is responsible for taking my wife from her rightful home to drag her halfway across the 'verse."

"Alan," Eve began, reaching a trembling hand out to stop her husband from coming any closer to Simon.

Simon interrupted her. "I am responsible only for saving your wife's life," he spat out. "Unless it is that you think her 'rightful home' was a whipping post in a freezing wind."

Shultzer felt a small twitch under his eye. "You had no business interfering in a situation you knew nothing about," he said, his voice taking on a nasty tone. Reaching for Eve's arm, he yanked her forward before Simon could stop him. 

Eve twisted in his vicious grasp, trying in vain to pull away from him. As Simon stepped forward to help her, four uniformed men surrounded them. Shultzer smiled nastily. "This is the man. You heard him. By his own admission, he is responsible."

As two of the men grabbed Simon's arm, he protested, "Officers, I don't know what this man has told you, but…"

"Tell it to the Commander," one of the men said, yanking him toward the alley. 

"Where are you taking him?" Eve asked, still trying to free herself from Shultzer's iron grip. 

"He's headed to the garrison," Shultzer said, smiling widely at her. "Where he will be formally charged with aiding and abetting a fugitive." Seeing her terrified expression, he continued, "And even as we speak, with a little luck there are Alliance officers swarming all over that rust-bucket of a ship you were in, pulling out the rest of them for arrest as well."

"Alan," Eve pleaded, "Please don't do this. They were innocent. They didn't know what was happening. Please. I'll go with you, and I won't try to leave again. I'll do whatever you want. Just please leave them alone."

Shultzer smiled, cupping her trembling face in his large hand. "Can't do that, Eve," he said, leaning in to whisper into her ear. "First, I'm going to get rid of your little friends, and then I'm going to take you back home. We have a lot of catching up to do." And squeezing her arm roughly, he pulled her into the alley, following the path of the soldiers back to the garrison.

XXXXXXXXXX

Mal stood in the cargo bay, checking his weapon and waiting for Jayne and Zoe to get their gear. Just about to bellow for them to hurry up, he turned around to see a contingent of Alliance soldiers heading in his direction. Thinking quickly that there was no stolen cargo in his hold at the moment, he mentally reviewed the recent past. As far as he knew, there were currently no warrants outstanding for anyone on the crew. Still, seeing more than one Alliance soldier headed in his general direction made the hackles on the back of his neck rise.

When they stepped up onto the ramp without so much as a moment's hesitation, every alarm bell in his head went off. "Officers, what can I do for you?" he asked, making the words as even as he could.

"Are you Malcolm Reynolds?" one of the soldiers asked.

"I am," he responded.

"Malcolm Reynolds, you are hereby bound by law for the transport of a fugitive over interplanetary borders," the man said as the other three soldiers surrounded Mal.

Having somehow not expected to hear that particular charge, Mal was dumbstruck for a moment. As one of the soldiers pulled his hands roughly behind his back and cuffed them together, he found his voice. "I'm thinkin' you've made some kind of mistake," he said. "No fugitives on this boat."

"Not now," the man said dryly. "The fugitive has already been apprehended. You can explain everything to the Commander of the garrison." Nodding for the other men to move him forward, the officer turned smartly on his heel.

Mal glanced over his shoulder, to see River staring down at him from the catwalk, her eyes wide with worry. Jayne stood beside her, looking as if he was ready to solve the problem with Vera strapped across his chest. Mal shook his head sharply, and River laid a restraining hand on Jayne's arm. 

"Where are you taking him?" Zoe asked, striding out into the cargo bay and standing between the men and the door. 

"To the garrison," the man in charge replied. "You need to step aside, please."

"Sir?" Zoe asked.

"Do what the man says, Zoe," Mal replied. "I expect it can all be straightened out when I get there."

Zoe stepped aside, looking less than convinced of the fact. "We'll be right behind you, sir."

Mal nodded as the men marched him down the ramp and away from Serenity. "Good to know," he murmured.

XXXXXXXXXX

Simon sat in a holding cell at the garrison, fairly seething with anger. He closed his eyes. The mental image of the hundan Shultzer yanking Eve so cruelly away from him playing behind his eyelids made him open them again immediately. In a cell across the hall from him, Eve sat very still, her eyes red-rimmed from the tears she had shed. "Did he hurt you?" Simon asked when he thought he could steady his voice.

Eve shook her head. "Not much," she replied. "Just pulled the stitches a bit when he dragged me down the alley." She wrapped her arms around herself protectively. "I've no doubt he'll do much worse when we get back home," she added bleakly.

"Surely they won't send you back there," Simon said. "Not when you tell them what was done to you. Not when they see the evidence of it across your back."

"He's in there talking with the Commander of the garrison right now," Eve said, shivering. "And he can be very persuasive when he wants to be."

Simon's reply was interrupted by the door at the end of the hall opening. Looking up, he was dismayed to see Mal coming through the door in handcuffs. Noting the dark scowl on the Captain's face, Simon swallowed nervously. 

Mal said nothing as he was pushed into the cell with Simon. Rubbing his wrists where the cuffs had bitten into them, he sat down on the bench opposite Simon silently. After a moment, he looked over at Eve. "They hurt you?" he asked.

"No," Eve said. "Just frightened me a bit. Captain Reynolds, I…I'm so sorry for what had happened. I never meant…"

"No need for you to apologize," Mal said before looking pointedly at Simon. "As I recall, you didn't have a say in the matter."

Eve bowed her head, wincing at the look he was giving his medic. Simon, however, did not flinch. "Apparently, we're going to be charged with aiding and abetting a fugitive," Simon said.

"You think?" Mal replied, his lips twitching. 

"What are we going to do?" Simon asked, ignoring the Captain's tone.

"Well now, I was hoping you had that all worked out by now," Mal said. 

Simon blushed furiously. "It never occurred to me that the Alliance would get involved, Mal. I thought it would just be a local matter."

"Yeah, well, the Alliance has a nasty way of showin' up when you least expect them. Thought you woulda' learned that by now, being' top three percent and all." He paused for a moment, looking over at the woman in the other cell. "S'pect they'll be sendin' her back to face the music too."

"It would seem so," Simon said.

They sat in silence for several minutes. Finally, Mal spoke. "River saw them take me," he said softly. "They'll be along in awhile, I conjure."

Simon nodded. "To do what?" he whispered. "It's not exactly like this is an unprotected local jail on a Rim world. This garrison is brimming with soldiers. I'd say that puts us at a distinct disadvantage."

Mal's smile did not reach his eyes. "That sounds about right then," he said blandly.

XXXXXXXXXX

To be continued


	10. Chapter 10

Whiplash

**Whiplash**

**Part X—Quandary**

Author: justslummin

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Just playin' in Joss' sandbox.

Rating: PG

Summary: Jim and Kaylee return to the ship to find the rest of the crew in turmoil about how to rescue the Captain and Simon.

XXXXXXXXXX

Jim and Kaylee walked back toward Serenity slowly as they were enjoying the unusual feel of sunlight on their faces. Carrying the box of spare parts that Kaylee had managed to acquire for next to nothing due in large part to the salvage yard's owner's appreciation for the way she filled out her jumpsuit, Jim could almost forget the tragic circumstances of the young woman who'd just disembarked from their boat. Though he had said little on the matter, Eve's predicament had disturbed him deeply. Like most of the others on Serenity, he had seen his share of abused women. Unlike the others, however, he had personal reasons for his discomfiture. Eve's presence had reminded him all too vividly of the first woman he'd ever fallen in love with, a woman twice his age with the misfortune to be married to a man who found all manner of uses for her that had nothing to do with love. Jim, young, impetuous and so very naïve, had tried to help her, offering her what he had assumed would be a safe haven. But, in the manner of many victims caught in vicious cycles of abuse and neglect, she had been unable to break free from her prison, and Jim had suffered true heartache when he realized that he was powerless to save her. Time had dulled the pain of that wound, but Eve's presence had reawakened it.

Thinking that there were few things in the 'verse more likely to lift his spirits than Kaylee's sunny smile, he looked over at her. Kaylee, unaware of his scrutiny, walked along looking at all the shiny things to be explored at the docks. "Don't you just love it when we get to walk about and see all the pretties?" she said as she looked around with wide-eyed enthusiasm.

"How is it that where all I see is a dusty street full of things I don't even want to begin to think about, you see pretties?" Jim asked fondly.

Kaylee shrugged. "There's always pretties, most anywhere you go. 'Ceptin' maybe Niska's skyplex, or Miranda, or…"

Jim held up his hand, stopping her. "I get the picture. No need to go down the list," he said, smiling.

Kaylee giggled, continuing to look around now that the moment of gloom had disappeared as quickly as it had come. Looking out into the distance, she frowned. "That's odd," she said.

"What?" Jim asked.

Kaylee pointed and Jim followed her line of vision to Serenity sitting up ahead in the distance. "Usually, they got the ramp down any time we're dirtside if some of us are out and about. Gives the place a good airing, so's the scrubbers can have a break."

"Unless there's trouble," Jim murmured, thinking privately that there always seemed to be with this crew.

Kaylee nodded and they picked up their pace, intent now on getting back to the ship.

XXXXXXXXXX

"It's Jim and Kaylee," Jayne said, looking out the small window in the airlock. "And they're alone."

Zoe nodded and lowered the ramp. Jim stepped onto the ship, Kaylee right behind him. "What's happened?" he asked, setting the box of parts down on the floor of the cargo bay. He saw immediately the tense line of Zoe's shoulders and the small crease in her forehead that always signaled trouble.

"Captain got arrested," Zoe said shortly.

"Arrested? For what?" Kaylee exclaimed. 

"Harboring a fugitive," Jayne replied.

"But there ain't no warrants out for Simon and River now," Kaylee protested.

Zoe shook her head. "Not Simon and River. Eve," she said.

Jim drew a deep breath. "Where'd they take him?" he asked.

"The Alliance garrison," Zoe replied.

Jim grimaced, a string of colorful Mandarin on the tip of his tongue. "How long ago?" 

"Less than an hour," Zoe replied. 

"And Simon ain't back yet?" Kaylee asked, realization dawning.

"No," Zoe said. "I can only assume that he was picked up as well. If they knew enough about Eve to arrest the Captain, I'm sure they already have Eve and Simon too."

"Well, we gotta go get 'em," Kaylee said immediately. "Right?"

"Easier said than done," Jayne said gruffly. "There's a mess of soldiers 'tween us and them, and no smooth way to get into the garrison."

"You've already looked?" Jim asked.

Jayne nodded shortly. "Went down there right behind Mal," he said. "Took a look around to see what there was to see. And it ain't gonna be no walk in the park."

Zoe nodded shortly. "According to the Cortex, there are over two hundred soldiers stationed there."

"Don't much like those odds," Jim said. "Seeing as there are only four of us who are handy with a gun, including River." He glanced around. "Where is River, by the way?"

Zoe frowned. "Locked herself onto the bridge, and won't come out."

"She having an episode?" Jim asked, suddenly very uneasy about the whole situation.

"Don't know," Zoe replied. "Can't get in to see about it. That's what Jayne and I were trying to figure when you came back."

Jim sighed. "If she's out for the count, I seriously doubt the three of us will be able to take out a garrison of soldiers."

Jayne rolled his neck, stretching the muscles of his shoulders and back. "Is it my imagination, or does she always go moonbrained when we need her most?" he muttered.

"Your imagination," Kaylee, Zoe, and Jim said in unison.

XXXXXXXXXX

Eve slept. Curled into a ball on the hard bench of the holding cell, she dreamed of Alan. Not the cruel man of her present, but the charming man of her past, the one that had wooed her with his winning smile and his pleasant manner. When Eve had come into his world, she was drifting, grieving the loss of her mother. She had taken a voyage, setting out for the Core worlds for a change of scenery. But the vessel she had chosen ran afoul of a bad meteor shower and had limped along for days trying to reach any world at all. When finally it landed on Alan's world, the settlers there were kind, more than eager to help the survivors until their ship could be repaired. Weeks passed as the crew's engineering staff awaited the needed parts, and Eve found herself drawn into the close knit little community, charmed by its quaint ways. 

And of course, there had been Alan. Already the chairman of the town council, he was instrumental in arranging for the well-being and comfort of the landlocked passengers. And Eve, vulnerable in her grief, was attracted to his take-charge manner. He was solicitous, ready to meet her every need. And it had been a long while since Eve had been the one being cared for instead of the caregiver. It was a heady feeling and by the time the ship was ready to break atmo again, she had been persuaded to stay. Within weeks, she was Alan's wife. Within months, she was his victim.

On the cold bench, she twitched in her sleep, her dreams of the Alan she had known in the beginning turning into the nightmare she now lived. She awoke with a start, cold sweat dripping from her hairline down her neck. Slowly, she sat up, careful still of the half-healed lashes on her back. She closed her eyes again, praying not to dream.

XXXXXXXXXX

River stared at the cortex screen intently. "I need to speak to him immediately," she repeated. "It is a matter of some urgency."

"Mrs. Reynolds, most of Mr. Bridgman's clients are in urgent circumstances," the assistant replied calmly. "He is in a conference right now. I will relay any message you'd care to leave, but…"

River gripped the console tightly to avoid ripping the screen from its moorings. "I will not leave a message," she said very slowly as if talking to an idiot child. "You will get him for me…now."

"Hold on, please," the assistant said, thinking that the pofu was very pushy indeed. Perhaps if he just let her hold for awhile, she'd go away.

"And I won't go away, no matter how long you force me to hold," River said flatly. "And when I am able to do so, I will come to your office and personally rip your…"

Tom Bridgman's voice floated over the cortex link. "What's going on out there?"

His assistant turned away from the screen. "There's a woman who says she and her husband are clients of yours. Name of Reynolds."

"River?" Bridgman asked quickly.

His assistant looked surprised. "Yes, as a matter of fact."

"Patch her through immediately," Bridgman said, eliciting a slight smile from River.

"Yes sir," the assistant said, wondering who this woman was and why his boss would interrupt his meal to speak to her.

River waited for a moment more, and Tom Bridgman's face appeared on the screen. "Good evening, Mrs. Reynolds," he said pleasantly. 

"Mal's been arrested on Persephone," River said without preamble. "He's being held at the Alliance garrison."

Bridgman's eyebrows shot up. "What for?" he asked, somehow dreading the list of possible answers.

"Harboring a fugitive. Transporting her over interplanetary borders."

Bridgman whistled. "When Mal gets into trouble, he manages to do it very well," he said dryly. "I'm assuming he's guilty?" River hesitated. "Don't worry," Tom said kindly. "This line is secure. Swept every hour for any kind of surveillance. More than a few of my clients are in need of such security."

River nodded. "Yes, he did it," she replied. "Though to be truthful, it was Simon who actually committed the crime."

"Simon?" Tom asked. "That's a surprise."

"Not if you knew the circumstances," River replied. "They arrested him as well. We need some help of the legal variety."

Bridgman nodded. "I'm glad to know you're not planning to attempt a jail break."

"Chance of success is statistically improbable," River said. "I did the math."

"Of course you did," Bridgman said, not unkindly. Thinking for a moment, he said, "They will not keep them at the garrison for long if they have been formally charged with a felony. They'll be remanded to a criminal court to stand before a local judge."

"Before you could get here?" River asked.

"I'm afraid so," Bridgman said. "Persephone is a long way from here." Tapping his fingertips on his desk, he added, "But I have a friend who practices law on Persephone. I could give him a call and see if he would be willing to go down to the garrison and see what needs to be done."

"I would appreciate any help you could provide," River said earnestly. 

"Will do," Tom said, smiling reassuringly. "And don't worry, Mrs. Reynolds. He's a good lawyer."

"I sincerely hope so," River said quietly as she cut the transmission.

XXXXXXXXXX

Simon shifted uncomfortably on the bench. "When do you think they'll come?" he whispered.

"Don't know that I'm too eager to see them," Mal said, eyeing the guards with a practiced eye. "These soldiers look to be trained a mite better than typical for a run of the mill garrison. Ain't altogether sure things won't go pear-shaped if they come in guns blazin'. Best they wait until they have a gorram good plan before coming to get us."

Simon sighed, looking across the hall at Eve's sleeping form. "She'll be forced to go back with him, won't she?"

"Most like," Mal said, his jaw a hard line. "Hundan's gone to some trouble to get his hands on her. And if he can convince the garrison commander that he has a right to take her home, there's nothing to stop him doing it."

"Except us," Simon said.

Mal snorted. "Less you know somethin' I don't, doc, seems to me we're in no position to stop anybody from doing anything."

Simon swallowed the bile that rose in his throat. "Might have been better to leave her on that post to die of exposure than to let her fall back into his hands again."

Hearing the defeated tone of Simon's voice, Mal cleared his throat. "Ain't over 'til it's over, Simon. No use to re-think a decision that's in the past." He paused for a moment. "And just so you know, it was the right thing to do, taking her in like you did."

"Even if the end result is the same?" Simon asked bitterly.

"Even then," Mal replied, leaning his head back against the wall. "Best we get some rest whilst we're able." Having said that, he closed his eyes, the discussion at an end from his perspective.

Simon stared at the floor for a long moment and, sighing, laid his head down on the bench to try to get some sleep.

XXXXXXXXXX

To be continued

Author's Note: For those who might not remember, Tom Bridgman was introduced back in the story arc, "The Family Way". (Just so you know…)


	11. Chapter 11

Whiplash

**Whiplash**

**Part XI—Law of the Land**

Author: justslummin

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Just playin' in Joss' sandbox.

Rating: PG

Summary: Mal and Simon meet their new lawyer, and the lawyer meets a new challenge.

XXXXXXXXXX

Jeffrey Howerton smoothed his hair back carefully before disembarking from the hovercraft. He'd been asleep when Tom Bridgman had waved him about clients being held at the Alliance garrison. And while normally he would not have answered a wave at such an hour, he could not ignore any wave from Bridgman. They had been friends for as long as he could remember, and Tom was not one to call in the middle of the night unless there was some emergency.

Howerton was vaguely intrigued by Tom's description of the clients and the situation. It wasn't often that Tom had such glowing praise for a client, and Howerton was somewhat curious to meet Malcolm Reynolds. Like most people on Core worlds, he had seen the Miranda broadcast and wondered privately about the man who had orchestrated its release. And the fact that Tom had represented him on other charges made him that much more of a curiosity. 

Stepping smartly to the entrance of the garrison, Howerton gave the guard his best professional smile as he handed over his ident card for scanning. The guard looked carefully at his scanner display and Howerton was a bit taken aback. He had assumed that security at the garrison would be of the nondescript variety, as there was no active threat to the garrison of which he was aware. Finally, the guard returned his card and consulted a roster. "I'm sorry, Mr. Howerton," he said after a moment. "There is no record of any of the prisoners in the holding cells requesting an advocate."

Howerton smiled in what he hoped was a winning way. "That is because the request came to me via the wife of one of the prisoners. I have been retained to represent Malcolm Reynolds and Simon Tam."

"Excuse me a moment," the guard replied, turning his back on Howerton and speaking quietly into his headset. 

Howerton's mind whirred with possibilities. He'd never encountered such trouble simply getting into a jail to see his client. Feeling increasingly uneasy, he stood waiting for the guard to finish his conversation. After an interminable time, the guard turned his full attention back to Howerton.

"You have been cleared to meet with the detainees," he said, pushing a button to allow Howerton to move freely through the gate. "Proceed to the first door on the right. They will be brought to you shortly."

Howerton nodded. "Thank you," he said, picking up his briefcase.

"Sir?" the guard called.

"Yes?"

"You'll have to leave that here with me," the guard said. 

"You're kidding, right?" Howerton said, his ears turning slightly pink. "I will of course need to take notes when I speak with my clients. I need my case."

"Sorry, sir," the guard replied, though his face was a perfect blank. "Regulations prohibit any kind of baggage in the interrogation area."

"Fine," Howerton said, sighing at the idiocy of bureaucracy. "Perhaps I could at least retrieve a pad and pen from the case before you take it?"

The guard quickly produced a sheet of paper and a pencil from the desk behind him. "I hope these will be satisfactory."

Howerton blinked in disbelief for a moment before recovering his composure. "I don't think I'll even ask why I can't use my own," he said sardonically.

"Best not to, sir," the guard replied without a trace of humor.

Howerton took the proffered supplies and walked through the first door, shaking his head with disbelief.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Get up," the guard said loudly, sliding the door of the holding cell open.

Mal sat up slowly, stretching cramped muscles in the bright light. Simon jerked awake, sitting up quickly enough to make his head spin for a moment. "What's going on?" he asked, suppressing a yawn.

"Your lawyer's here," the guard replied. "Waiting in the interrogation room."

"Lawyer?" Simon asked. Turning to Mal with a look of confusion, he asked, "We have a lawyer?"

"Looks like," Mal replied.

"How'd we get a…"

"Don't know, and don't rightly care," Mal replied quickly. "I expect we'll find out all about it in a minute or two, if you'll get up and follow this fine Alliance officer." So saying, he held out his hands to be cuffed. 

The guard made quick work of the job, and Mal and Simon were herded down the corridor and past Eve's cell. Eve sat up, rubbing her eyes in the bright light and looking curiously at their progress until they rounded the corner and she could see them no more. Shivering, she thought of how very alone she felt without them across the corridor.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I would appreciate you removing the cuffs while I speak with my clients," Howerton said evenly to the guards that escorted Mal and Simon into the room.

"Sorry, sir, it's…." the guard began.

Howerton held up his hand. "Let me guess. It's against regulations."

"That's right, sir," the guard replied stiffly.

Howerton nodded, sharing a disbelieving glance with Mal. "I assume I can speak with them privately," he prompted.

"Of course, sir," the guard said, turning on his heel to leave the room.

Howerton turned and smiled at the two cuffed men. "My name is Jeffrey Howerton. Captain Reynolds, I have been retained by your wife to represent you and Dr. Tam in any inquiry."

"Pleased to meet you," Mal said. "I'd shake your hand, but I'm fair certain it would be against regulations." He smiled, the glint in his eye causing Howerton to laugh aloud.

"Most likely," he said. 

Simon spoke. "How did River come to…choose you?"

"By way of an old friend to all of us, I expect," Howerton said. "I got a call from Tom Bridgman. She called him to get some legal advice, and he sent me."

Mal nodded, profoundly grateful that River had apparently not chosen to come to the garrison with her guns blazing and her blades drawn. "How much trouble are we in?" he asked, direct as always.

"Well, from what I can gather, the garrison Commander, a man by the name of Crenshaw, is under the impression that you two helped a fugitive escape from Ita. That true?"

"In a manner of speaking," Mal replied. "Though we didn't know she was a fugitive at the time."

Howerton leaned forward, tapping his fingertips on the desk. "Perhaps you'd better tell me exactly what happened."

Mal nodded at Simon, and Simon told the story as succinctly as possible. Howerton jotted down a few notes, asking minimal questions until Simon finished.

"So, Captain Reynolds was not even aware that she was aboard Serenity when you left Ita?" Howerton said.

"That's right," Simon confirmed. "He didn't know what was going on until we were in the air."

Howerton sighed. "Would be a hard sell, but I could probably convince the commander to let you go on that basis alone, Captain. Only problem with that is that it doesn't help Dr. Tam at all."

Mal nodded. "So, what else you got?"

Howerton stared at the wall for a moment, the wheels turning in his sharp mind. "I suppose a case could be made that Dr. Tam was acting in accord with his oath as a physician. Are you certain the woman would have died if she'd been left there?"

"Within reason," Simon replied. 

"Problem with that is that it was part of her sentence to hang until the morning," Howerton murmured, thinking aloud. "Of course, we could argue that it was cruel and unusual punishment, and that you were unfamiliar with the customs on Ita, and that…" His words trailed off for a moment. Pulling himself back to the present, he said, "Of course, depending on the mood of the Commander, he could say that ignorance of the laws and customs of Ita was no excuse. We'll have to see."

"Worse case scenario?" Mal asked quietly.

Howerton sighed. "Worst case, you'll be extradited to Ita to stand trial for aiding and abetting a fugitive. Or tried here on Persephone for transporting her over interplanetary boundaries."

"And best case?" Simon asked.

"It stops here, with a conversation with Commander Crenshaw and a slap on the wrist for troubling him."

"And for Eve?" Simon asked. "What will happen to Eve?"

Howerton frowned. "I imagine she will be extradited to Ita without question. And once she's there, she will be at the mercy of the court."

"The same court that sentenced her to begin with?" Mal asked.

Howerton nodded sadly. "The very same," he confirmed. Shaking himself slightly, he continued, "But we need to concentrate on you two right now. With your permission, I'll ask to have a word with the Commander in your behalf."

Mal nodded. "I'd take it as a kindness," he said. 

Howerton nodded and knocked on the door to get the attention of the guard. "Don't worry, gentlemen," he said as he headed out the door. "I won't be long."

Mal and Simon stared after him. "Think he can pull it off?" Simon asked quietly.

"Sure as hell hope so," Mal replied.

XXXXXXXXXX

Commander Crenshaw grunted. "You don't understand, Mr. Howerton," he said. "This guy Shultzer doesn't feel inclined to let it go." 

"Why does that matter?" Howerton said, pressing the Commander as carefully as he could. "Shultzer is not the authority here."

"No, but he's the authority on Ita," Crenshaw said doggedly. "I've checked him out, and he is what he says he is. Chairman of the town council, closest thing to an official they got. And the local judge there confirms that he's telling the truth of what happened."

"But it's inhumane," Howerton said. "Can you imagine what that poor woman went through? It's no wonder that the doctor stepped in. You would have done no less if you had been there, I expect."

"If I had been there," Crenshaw said evenly, "I would have upheld the law of Ita. I find it more than a little ironic that Reynolds and his doctor would argue for Alliance interference in a local matter. Seems contrary to what they say the Independents were fighting for back during the war. If I start overturning the decisions of some judge in a backwater settlement on some Rim world, there'll be a stink about it, you can be sure."

"So, if I can convince Shultzer to drop the charges, you have no problem with letting my clients go?" Howerton persisted.

"Hell, if you can convince him to drop the charges, I'll buy you a drink at the establishment of your choice," Crenshaw said. "Save me a mountain of paperwork not to process those two."

"How much time will you give me?" Howerton said. 

Crenshaw rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Suppose I can hold it off for another day."

Howerton smiled. "Thank you, Commander."

XXXXXXXXXX

"So, it would seem that Shultzer is the only thing standing between your husband and freedom," Howerton said, sitting at Serenity's table with River.

"And he won't see you," River said flatly.

Howerton rubbed the back of his neck tiredly. "Not so far," he admitted. "But I've got the rest of the day to try to talk some sense into him."

"Hard to do if he ain't willin' to talk," Zoe stated blandly.

"True enough," Howerton said ruefully. "But I'm not through trying yet. I just wanted to come and give you an update. I need to go home for a bit, and check in with my office to cancel a few other things. But I should be able to start in again with him in a couple of hours."

River nodded, thinking that it would not take that long to persuade Shultzer to her way of thinking, given the proper incentive.

XXXXXXXXXX

To be continued


	12. Chapter 12

Whiplash

**Whiplash**

**Part XII—Fault Line**

Author: justslummin

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Just playin' in Joss' sandbox.

Rating: PG

Summary: Conclusion. River uses her own brand of persuasion on Shultzer, and Eve's release comes from an unexpected source.

XXXXXXXXXX

"So, you plannin' on killin' him?" Zoe asked, watching Howerton walk out into the crowds of the Eavesdowne docks.

"Can't kill him right now, without everyone knowing it was me," River said slowly, turning over the idea in her head. "Need to get Mal and Simon free first."

Zoe sighed. "Killin' 'im would be easier," she said.

River looked at her with huge brown eyes. "True, but not as effective for what we need done first."

"So, what's the plan?" Zoe asked.

"Stay here and guard the ship, the children," River said. "I can handle Shultzer alone."

"Don't think that's the wisest course," Zoe replied blandly.

"Less messy," River responded, walking out into the morning light of Persephone looking for all the 'verse like a young woman out on a leisurely stroll. "I'll be back soon."

XXXXXXXXXX

Shultzer sat back with a satisfied belch, his stomach full of the five course breakfast he'd ordered at the little café. Today was the day, he thought happily, the day that he would retrieve his errant wife from the garrison and do as he wished with her. Crenshaw was dragging his feet for some reason, but it was nothing Shultzer thought he couldn't handle, if he applied the right amount of pressure to the man.

Savoring the taste of the real coffee in his cup, Shultzer thought about the lawyer who'd tried to talk with him earlier. Though the man was persistent, Shultzer was determined to make the hundans who'd deprived him of his fun pay for their indiscretion. Snorting at the idea of dropping the charges, he sat back in his chair to relax a bit.

Suddenly, as if by some magic, a pretty young woman was sitting beside him at his table, smiling softly at him as she gracefully poured herself a cup of coffee from his carafe. "Well, hello there," he said, smiling wolfishly as his eyes raked across her nubile form.

"Hello yourself," she said, sipping daintily.

Amused by her bold manner, Shultzer leaned forward. "You in the habit of stealing a man's coffee of a morning?" he said, smiling.

She quirked one eyebrow up, as if considering her answer. "Not usually," she said leaning forward so that her nose just barely avoided brushing his own. "I think that thievery is more your line of work."

Shultzer blinked slowly, puzzled by that response. "What?" he asked.

River smiled, sitting back and taking another sip of coffee. "You heard me," she said softly. "I know what you're doing back on your little world, Mr. Shultzer. Know that you've been skimming the medical supplies from the Alliance shipment and selling them through that little man Mason." She paused for a moment, pinning him to the chair with her stare. "Of course, now that's you've killed him, I suppose you'll have to find some other way to get the stolen merchandise off Ita."

Shultzer swallowed thickly. "Look woman, I don't know what you're talking about, but…"

"Yes, you do," River replied calmly, the tip of her blade pressed against his inner thigh beneath the table.

Shultzer sat very still, all too aware of where her blade rested. "What do you want?" he asked, his throat suddenly dry as he pictured losing his lucrative sideline as well as certain portions of his anatomy to which he was very attached.

"I want many things," River said, increasing the pressure of the blade slightly. "But most of them are beyond your grasp. So, I will make it very simple for you." She smiled as if she were discussing the weather instead of threatening a very nervous man with a wickedly curved knife. "You are going to talk with the lawyer named Howerton. You are going to let him convince you to drop the charges against the two men you have wrongly imprisoned in the garrison, and then you are going to go away. Dong ma?"

Shultzer nodded, unable to speak as the blade pressed more insistently at his groin.

"And if you do not do exactly as I have stated," River said, leaning in to brush his ear with her lips, "I will be back. And I will bring my sharper blade next time." Pulling the blade quickly along the seam of his pants, she stood up. "Good day, Mr. Shultzer."

He sat for a long while, his heart hammering in his chest as he watched the woman disappear into the crowds. When finally he thought he could move again, he looked down into his lap at the thin line of blood along his thigh and the long cut in his best pair of trousers.

XXXXXXXXXX

"And this is legitimate?" Crenshaw asked in amazement, looking at the signed statement of Alan Shultzer. "Because I saw Shultzer again not two hours ago, and he didn't say anything about it."

"It is," Howerton replied happily. "It would seem that Mr. Shultzer just needed time to think about the situation. He was quite eager to speak with me the second time I approached him. Seemed like a different man, in point of fact."

Crenshaw nodded. "All right then. Seems I owe you a drink. I'll have your clients released right away."

Howerton smiled. "I took the liberty of filling out the necessary paperwork before I came. If I could persuade your guards to let me bring in my briefcase, I can save us all a lot of time. Just need your signature on a few things."

Crenshaw grinned. "I like you better by the minute, Howerton," he said, thumbing the comm button. "Sargeant Hicks, bring the lawyer's briefcase to my office immediately."

XXXXXXXXXX

Mal and Simon stepped out into the sunlight, where River was waiting. Mal kissed her deeply, heedless of the eyes of all the people passing by on the busy street. "Love you, bao bei," he whispered into her ear. "Good job not gettin' anybody killed to spring us."

River smiled. "Wouldn't have been the efficient way to achieve the desired result."

"S'pose not," Mal said, linking his arm with hers as she squeezed Simon's hand.

"Thank you, River," Simon said. "Don't know how you managed it, but…"

"And don't want to know, I think," River said.

"Probably not," Simon said, grinning. "You're such a brat."

Mal laughed, relief making the sound almost merry. "Well, now that that's over, maybe we can…"

"Not over yet," Simon said, stopping in the middle of the street to stare back in the direction of the garrison.

Mal turned to follow his gaze, and a low string of Mandarin flew from his lips. Eve stepped out, blinking in the sunlight. Shultzer walked beside her, holding the chain that wrapped around her waist and led to her hands and feet. Four Alliance guards from the garrison surrounded them, and they moved forward toward the docks.

Mal gritted his teeth, looking at the sorry sight. "Hundan just doesn't give up, does he?" he muttered. Reaching for the gunbelt that wasn't there, he swore again.

River took his arm, pulling him toward Serenity. "Can't do it," she said shortly. "You nor Simon. Can't get involved."

Simon hissed, "You don't expect us to just let him take her?" he said. "Not after all that's happened."

"She's right," Mal said, reading his wife's thoughts as if she'd spoken aloud. "We need to be elsewhere."

"But Mal," Simon balked.

"We'll send Jayne," Mal said, pushing him forward toward Serenity.

XXXXXXXXXX

Shultzer walked toward the small vessel he'd purchased for the return trip to Ita, eager to be aboard. Eve walked sluggishly, her chains weighing her down and slowing her step. She thought wildly of anything that she could do to escape her fate and could see nothing. The guards walked with her and while they mercifully did not push her forward, they did cause her to move ahead inexorably to what she knew would be her end.

Once aboard, the lead guard turned to Shultzer. "We'll be needing those restraints back, sir. Do you have anything here to bind her?"

Shultzer nodded enthusiastically, opening a chest with various ropes and ties. "Give me just a minute to get her settled in, and you can have your chains back."

Pushing Eve into the co-pilot's chair, he quickly tied her wrists and ankles down. "Lean up," he commanded.

She complied, her body recoiling at his nearness as he pulled the chain from around her waist. She shuddered, the movement causing pain to ripple across her back.

Shultzer handed the chains to the lead guard. "Thank you, gentlemen, for your diligence to duty," he said, ushering them toward the door of the craft. "I'll be sure to send a note of recommendation along to your commanding officer when I return home."

"Yes sir," they said in unison, as they stepped out of the craft.

Shultzer watched them for a moment, until they were lost in the crowd. He turned back to the interior of the ship, licking his lips in eager anticipation of the pleasure that awaited him on the bridge.

Swiveling Eve's chair around quickly so that she faced him, he got down on his knees to look into her terrified eyes. "So, Evie, it's just the two of us, at last," he said, his fetid breath hot against her skin. He ran his hands along her thighs as a light sob escaped her trembling lips. "Don't cry, Evie," he said. "Not yet."

Eve jerked against her restraints, determined to fight this horror. Shultzer grabbed her hair, twisting her head around mercilessly. "You're a very slow learner, Evie," he spat out. "But that's all right, because I'm a very good teacher."

As his free hand moved to her breast, he felt the cold steel of a gun barrel at the back of his neck. "Stand up," a flat voice said behind him.

Shultzer tried to turn his head, but was stopped by the barrel of the gun. "Seems that you're a slow learner too," the voice continued. "But I'm a good teacher myself."

Shultzer stood slowly, his hands raised in the air. "Who are you?" he asked, barely breathing.

"Cut her loose," the voice continued, as if he had not spoken. Shultzer stumbled toward the chest, pulling a small knife from its scabbard. "If you so much as nick her skin, I will end you right now," the voice said calmly.

Shultzer nodded silently, bending over to carefully saw through the ropes that bound Eve. "You all right?" the voice asked her gently.

"Y-y-yes," she answered, stepping quickly away from Shultzer.

"Go on outside," the voice commanded. "Jayne's out there waiting for you. He'll get you back to Serenity safely."

Eve nodded, her eyes wide as she stepped off the small craft.

"Listen," Shultzer said, turning around to look at his captor. "I don't know who you are, and what you think you're doing, but that woman is a fugitive, and I was merely returning her to her rightful place."

"And her rightful place was where exactly?" Jim said, his voice filled with bitterness. "Tied to a whipping post? Or maybe on her back beneath you whilst you took pleasure in her pain?"

Shultzer swallowed, seeing the flinty determination in the man's blue eyes. "She's my wife," he said finally. "I have a right to…"

Jim silenced him with a glare. "You have exactly no right to harm her. Marriage gives a man a license to love a woman, but nothing in the 'verse gives him license to treat her like you've treated your wife."

Shultzer noted the way that Jim's gun was wavering slightly, and saw it as an opportunity. He quickly threw the knife that he still held, hitting Jim in the shoulder as Jim's gun thundered in the confined space. For a moment, both men swayed on their feet, hit with the force of the other's weapon. Shultzer took a halting step forward. Jim fired again and Shultzer dropped to the floor, a vague look of surprise the last expression he would ever make.

Jim lowered his gun, the weight of it in his hand suddenly heavy as lead. Looking down at his shoulder, he pulled the small knife out, grimacing at the pain that shot through his arm with the gesture. He dropped it to the floor where it landed a few inches from Shultzer's corpse. And stepping out into the sunlight, Jim headed back to Serenity.

XXXXXXXXXX

"She gonna be all right?" Jim asked.

Simon nodded, concentrating on stitching the wound on Jim's shoulder. "Should be," he said slowly. "She's with Kaylee and Inara right now, finding a few things she can wear."

Jim nodded, feeling a little sleepy from the pain meds. "That's good," he slurred.

"Mind telling me what happened back there?" Mal asked from his position at the counter.

Jim opened one eye. "Rather not, if it's all the same," he replied groggily.

"Hundan gonna be comin' after her again?" Mal asked.

"No chance of that," Jim replied, closing his eyes.

"Good to know," Mal replied, sharing a glance with Simon. "Best we let River take us out of the world then." So saying, he turned on his heel and left the infirmary, thinking that he would find out exactly what happened the next time he and Jim shared a bottle of whiskey deep in Serenity' sleep cycle.

XXXXXXXXXX

"So, you got any idea what you're going to do when you get there?" Mal asked, smiling at Eve.

"Kaylee says that Mrs. Frye has some definite plans for my future," Eve replied, smiling up at him.

Mal thought how beautiful she looked, now that the haunted expression had lessened somewhat. "I don't doubt that Mrs. Frye will have everything in hand," he said. "Kaylee's mama is a right…determined woman."

Eve laughed. "So Simon has warned me. Though I think it's very kind of Kaylee's family to hire me on. I imagine I can be quite useful on a farm, if not in the machine shop."

"Would have thought you might rather try your hand at Inara's suggestion," Mal said lightly. "Teaching those young girls at the Training House how to stitch as fine as you do."

Eve shivered slightly. "Don't think I'd really fit in at the Training House," she said. "A farm's more my speed."

"Nothing wrong with that," Mal said, examining the shirt she'd just mended for him. "Though we'll miss you around here. Got plenty more shirts with holes of one kind or another."

"Maybe I can get to them before we get to Harvest," Eve said, standing up and patting her skirts down. "I do seem to notice a large number of them are bullet holes however."

Mal shrugged, grinning at her. "Person's gotta do what needs doin' to get by."

"So we do," Eve replied calmly, her eyes alight with hope for her future as she watched the Captain of Serenity walk toward the bridge, whistling as he went.

XXXXXXXXXX

Author's Note: So ends another tale of Serenity's crew. This will be my last posting for awhile, as real life seems to be encroaching on my Firefly time in a most distressing way. I'll be stopping by to read all the wonderful stuff here, but will not be posting anything for some time. Hopefully, I will be able to tell more tales of the 'verse again some day in the not too distant future. In the meantime, I'll still be collaborating with the exceptionally talented Midnight Obsidian for another look at the crew of the Hit or Miss in "Four of a Kind". Thank you for taking the time to read this tale, and a special thanks to the few brave souls who have taken the extra moment to provide feedback! Happy reading and writing to you all!


End file.
